


Wouldn't It Be Nice

by 206265



Category: Razia's Shadow
Genre: Adakias lives AU, Arranged Marriage AU, F/M, So much worldbuilding, Updates Sporadically, but it’ll get done I promise, i will build this gosh dang world from the ground up if i have to, if you've ever wanted to read razia fic but with most of the sadness taken out, world building, you're in the right place!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-05-21 05:18:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 39,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14909078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/206265/pseuds/206265
Summary: Anhura was twenty-two years old, the heir to the throne of the Light, and about to be shuffled off to wed some soon-to-be king who’d grant her only the slightest modicum of power-- if she was lucky.To say that she was displeased would be an understatement.





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The land of the Light receives an urgent missive from the Dark.

The land of the Dark wasn’t quite a real place in the minds of the children of the Light. It was a spectre that hovered over their heads as an immaterial threat, the vague suggestion that the scary people who lived beyond the mountain would come and get them if they didn’t eat their vegetables or go to sleep on time, or whatever else their parents asked of them. Because the parents certainly were complicit in this mentality, where else would the children learn these things? But it was harmless, this they knew. Their misbehaving child would never encounter a citizen of the Dark, they thought, because these parents were raised on the same ideas they were passing down. And so the land of the Light carried on, centuries passing.

And at the end of the first millenia of known history, the king of the Dark decided that enough was enough. What little he’d learned of the Light told him that they would be useful in trade, boasting the most plentiful food the world had ever seen. The last winter had come harsher than usual, and for the first time in his long and peaceful reign, the peasants were starving. Their meagre crops, denied what little sun and warmth they ever received, were failing. This couldn’t last.

So he sent an envoy to the Light, bearing a carefully worded missive to ensure the other kingdom would understand the severity of the hardship they were facing, and asked for an alliance. His sons cautioned against it, why would a change be needed now, after all these years, but they were young and easily overruled. They would have fought more had they known the contents of the letter sent with the messengers.

“King Malka, lord of the lands of the Light, I speak with the greatest candor and I beg of you to listen. This past winter has taken its toll on my people, and starvation is setting in. The sun rarely touches the Dark, and our crops are not enough to feed us. In the light of this recent development, I ask for an alliance, and for trade. I am not at the liberty to conceal the truth now. I know that the Light has more than enough food for you alone. I offer, in return, the services of our warriors, along with various precious metals mined from our lands. Further arrangements can be formed when my people no longer starve.

"To secure our alliance, I am proud to offer either of my two sons into marriage with a noblewoman of your lands. My younger cares most about the history of our people and is of a sweet temperament. The elder, his senior by five years, is well-learned in theories of battle, along with the fine arts. I understand that this offer of alliance is sudden, and my words presumptuous, but my lands are suffering and I will not watch my people suffer for my pride. I beg of you, decide with haste, as every second of delay costs my people dearly. Signed, Evyr, Son of Toba III.”

Silence fell in the hall of the King of the Light in the wake of the herald’s words. Odd, as a quiet buzz of conversation had carried on since the herald first strode through the doors.

“This… is an opportunity,” King Malka said slowly, booming voice carefully restrained to match the delicate balance of hope and fear in the room. “The wealth of the Dark has been long-kept from us, and their warriors are not to be underestimated. This is not a chance to forgo.”

His councillors exchanged mild glances, indecipherable to any outside their number. The pageboys and maids were far easier to read, clearly uncertain about the oft-maligned land of the Dark. Few still believed their childhood myths about monsters living beyond the mountain, but there had to be a reason for all those. An alliance with those things was unthinkable.

“King Evyr sounds desperate,” Lord Faer offered, arms folded as he kept his eyes fixed on the herald, who shifted slightly under the elderly noble’s scrutiny.

“I am not one to deny help to those in need,” the King retorted evenly, standing from his throne and causing the lords to stand as well. “Fran, assemble the farmers. Sir Tema, assemble a force to accompany the convoy. It will depart in no more than two days time.”

The hall began to bustle with the news, servants scrambling every which way in the wake of his words. The King surveyed the action, taking in the instant response to his declaration. In a few moments, the hall had nearly emptied as those he’d named set to organizing their staff. The silence felt like a balm to the royal family.

“You shall marry the elder,” King Malka decided in the lull, addressing his heir for the first time.

Princess Anhura nodded silently from her place beside her father’s throne. She had no protest against the marriage to voice. What could she possibly say? Her people truly had enough food to share with the disadvantaged land of the Dark.

It only made sense, she told herself, as she clenched her hands into fists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is: the product of my total inability to leave these characters behind. I couldn’t resist the urge to write some more content, so here’s a nice little arranged marriage au, because why not. I’m writing it as I go, and school is hell, so i’ll likely update painfully slowly. Sorry!
> 
> Up next: Anhura shares her opinion on the proceedings.
> 
> \- 206265


	2. Anhura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anhura makes her way to the Dark.

To say that Anhura was displeased would be an understatement.

A more accurate statement would be that Anhura was twenty-two years old, the heir to the throne, and about to be shuffled off to wed some soon-to-be king who’d grant her only the slightest modicum of power-- if she was lucky.  She understood perfectly well what her father intended; for her to stake a claim in the land of the Dark by producing an heir for her future husband. Then her younger sister would take the throne of the Light in half a dozen years, when she came of age.  Jem was far too inexperienced to rule, and her father was counting on that. Jem would be their father’s perfect little puppet on the throne, and Jem herself would be perfectly content with that. Anhura’s sister had never been particularly interested in ruling, not that she’d ever expected to take the throne.

So, no, Anhura was not displeased, Anhura was furious.

She did not pace, she did not pout or throw any fit that the palace staff would have been accustomed to seeing from her siblings.  Anhura sat quietly in her study and did what she did best; she learned. She taught herself everything the Light knew of the customs of the Dark, she memorized details of their dreaded military, a force the Light hadn’t faced in centuries, and she did her very best to pretend that she was satisfied with this lot in life.  She knew that peasant women often had far less power than she did, but peasant women hadn’t been trained from birth to assume control of a kingdom. And peasants could marry for love, something Anhura had envied for a long while. She knew that being nobility was enough reward for missing the chance to fall in love, but she couldn’t help but feel like this betrothal was a more immediate sign of the abrupt end of that particular dream.  Her soon-to-be betrothed was her equal, politically, and he would hold no power over her beyond her unfamiliarity with the land of the Dark. And that would soon change, Anhura realized, as the concept of leaving the Light forever began to sink in.

As the cold heaviness of that particular revelation settled in her gut, Anhura drew in a deep breath and decided, then and there, that she wouldn’t let the darkness in.  If she was to spend the rest of her days as the only woman of the Light in that entire kingdom, she’d be damned before she lost her connection to her home. Despite her conviction, she couldn’t stop herself from hoping that the prince, a man named Pallis, would treat her cordially.  She knew that no husband of hers would cow her into submission, but it would certainly be easier if he didn’t try. And unfortunately, Pallis seemed like the sort of man who’d try. One of the foremost warriors of the kingdom, known for his stoic demeanor and… and their sources held nothing else about him.  That wasn’t encouraging.

Still, Anhura would learn what she could of the customs of the Dark and she’d take her place as a ruling queen.  She wasn’t raised to be a figurehead. Pallis would learn that soon enough.

~

When the party from the Dark arrived ten days later, Anhura knew much more about the Dark’s social structures and customs than she’d ever have expected.  She’d read up on their histories, tales of great descendants of the seraphs waging bloody war on each other. She’d memorized rules of their government, meticulously pieced together from what little information the Light had gathered over the years.  She’d even taught herself a rudimentary understanding of their language, though she’d been informed that they used it ceremonially and spoke common in most cases.

She relished the shocked expressions on their faces as she greeted them in the traditional manner, dropping into a kind of lopsided curtsey.  Somewhat clumsily, the leader of the party returned the motion, and Anhura mentally congratulated herself on the success. She may not be their ruler, but she was still royalty, and she would demand whatever respect they dared to refuse her.

“My lady Anhura, we wish to depart as soon as you are able,” said a man who appeared to be in charge.  “It should be about four days to the Dark.”

Anhura nodded politely, keeping her gaze on the man’s face and ignoring the group of women standing behind him in warrior’s garb.  There was no mention of woman warriors in her sources about the Dark.

“Within a few hours, I will have my retinue prepared for the trip.  In the meantime, I ask that you follow the Seneschal to the eastern hall.  There, you will find a feast prepared for you.”

Beside Anhura, the Seneschal stepped forward and nodded his head gracefully to the newcomers.  Silently, he swept an arm toward a nearby hallway and began walking. The citizens of the Dark followed him, making hushed conversation amongst themselves.  Now, the attention of the castle was upon them, with their dark wardrobe and pale skin. Anhura stayed, frozen in place, until the last of them was out of sight, then she turned to her father and sister, standing unassumingly to the side.

“Well done, Anhura,” her father told her, pride shining from his face.  “They already view you as a queen.”

“Thank you, father.  I hope they will continue to do so when I stand beside their rightful ruler.”

“They shall.  Else they will face the wrath of the Light.”

What Anhura didn’t voice was that the Light had too little power with their sister kingdom to intervene if she was harmed.  Once the crops had been delivered, perhaps the Dark would decide that they no longer needed the Light’s alliance. And what use was the princess of an enemy kingdom?  Anhura had no intent of bringing this up, certainly not in the presence of her younger sister, but she knew the fear would stay with her for some time.

When the promised crops were packed and ready for transport, Anhura found herself standing between her incomplete family and the escort from the Dark.  Her father was wearing a blank expression, masking his emotions with the practiced ease of nobility, but Jem was sniffling softly, an ugly sound that ripped at Anhura’s heart.  And Lera was off at the academy, too busy to see Anhura off. Anhura knew how strict the schooling was, she’d seen it all herself, but that didn’t stop it from burning in her chest.  She hadn’t realized how much this would hurt, leaving them behind. Would she see them again? With four days’ travel separating the Light and Dark, it was too long a trip to make on a whim.  What if her husband decided not to allow it?

“You’ll make a great queen some day,” Anhura told Jem, fighting the urge to cry.  She’d never get to see her baby sister grow into the woman she’d one day become. She’d never see her people flourish under that new reign.  The years of missed future crashed into her all at once, and she turned away to pull in a shaky breath.

“I’ll miss you, my lady,” came Sana’s small voice from behind Anhura.  Her handmaiden was so much more than a servant, and this was just one more thing Anhura was about to leave behind.  She spared a thought for propriety, then discarded it decisively and threw herself into her best friend’s arms. As Anhura pressed her face into the crook of Sana’s neck, she did her best to memorize this feeling, so comfortable and secure, like nothing would ever rip them apart.

But it was Anhura’s duty to leave, so she slowly pulled back, taking Sana’s head in her hands.  Forcing a watery smile, Anhura pushed herself onto her toes to press a kiss to her handmaiden’s forehead.

“Bye,” Anhura managed, doing her best to keep all evidence of the sudden rush of fear and grief from her voice.

“Anna!”

Anhura spun to see Jem moving toward her, arms outstretched, the old nickname still on her lips.  Before Anhura could respond, their father reached out to grab Jem by the arm, keeping her in place.  Anhura forced herself to turn from the scene, cursing royal propriety with every fibre of her being.

“My lady, if you’d like to leave…”

One of the woman warriors of the Dark was watching her with something like pity in her eyes, but power in every line of her body.  Just another difference between the family Anhura was leaving behind and the strangers she was soon to embrace.

“Yes, I’d like to go now,” Anhura said, feigning confidence and stiffening her spine.

“Then we’d best make haste,” said the leader of her escort, extending an elbow to her.

Anhura took the man’s arm, clinging to it like it was the only thing keeping her afloat.  And if she held on a little too tightly, he was too kind to speak up.

~ 

Anhura was nearly disappointed by how mundane the journey was.  The warriors mainly kept to themselves, only interacting with her in polite nods that certainly didn’t make Anhura any more comfortable.  Only the leader, a lieutenant named Niren, really ever spoke with her, and even then, he seemed wary of offending her, and agreed with nearly everything she said.

It was boring, Anhura was astonished to find.

They travelled for several hours at a time between breaks, but always made sure to rest long enough for Anhura to drink some water, stretch the cramps from her legs.  It was all perfectly pleasant and dreadfully dull. Despite the pampered life of a noblewoman stretching out behind her, Anhura would have prefered even the slightest bit of excitement to make it more interesting.  As it was, her only entertainment came from the books she’d brought along, when they finally stopped for the evening. Once they’d eaten their dinner for the night, Anhura curled up in her bedroll with “A Land Apart: A comprehensive study of culture in the dark,” one of the few books she’d brought on her trip.  She was just beginning the chapter on the role of the woman when she heard a throat being cleared just a few paces away. Anhura looked up to see one of the woman warriors standing over her with a neutral expression. A pair of daggers sat at the woman’s hip, and Anhura made a pointed effort not to stare at them.

“Do you need something from me?”

“I noticed your book,” the tall warrior began, shifted slightly.  “You’re learning about us, aren’t you.”

Anhura nodded, clutching the book a little closer to her chest.  She desperately hoped that she hadn’t offended the Dark already.

“If you’d like, I can tell you a little more about our kingdom.”

“I’d like that,” Anhura said a little tentatively, drawing herself upright in her bedroll.

The warrior watched her for a moment, then moved to sit beside her, long legs folded neatly.  Even at rest, her back was straight and her head held high.

“I’m Ro, second in command to the captain of the guard,” the warrior introduced herself, holding out a hand, palm up.

“Anhura of the Light,” Anhura told her, taking her hand and trying to stay still as Ro squeezed her hand in the greeting she’d read about.

“So I’ve heard, princess,” Ro said, the barest hint of a grin creeping onto her face.  “I volunteered myself and my soldiers to be your escort, you know. I wanted to meet the future queen of the Dark myself.”

“And how’ve you found me?”  Anhura wasn’t quite sure what she was saying.  Her sense of decorum would definitely have prohibited this sort of talk back home.  Maybe there was a sort of carelessness setting in out in the Wildlands. These warriors didn’t seem to care much for propriety.

“Not bad, my lady,” Ro said, voice turning a little softer for a moment.  She paused. “Would you like to tell me about that book of yours?”

“Certainly.”  Anhura pulled her gaze from Ro to open her book to the place she’d left off.  Scanning down the page, she placed her finger on an interesting line she’d found.  “I was wondering… it says that courting ends with a fight between the man and woman, that if the man triumphs in combat, then they will be wed.  Is that…” Anhura looked up from the book to see Ro watching her with no small bit of amusement on her face. “Is that wrong?”

“I suspect your book may not be the most trustworthy source,” Ro put in cautiously, like she feared breaking some kind of decorum.  “That is a ritual of myth and nothing more.”

Anhura sighed in relief, all fears of facing the warrior prince in combat vanishing.  She’d hoped that she’d be safe from that particular ritual as a foreign dignitary, but the possibility had still lingered.

“Would you tell me of it?”

“Of course.  It was a legend, from the first hundred years after the splitting of the worlds, when the twin sons of Marett the Brave both wished to court the same woman…”

Anhura drew her knees up to her chest and pulled her blankets around her shoulders, relaxing into the warmth of her bedroll and letting Ro’s low voice wash over her.  The warm flicker of light cast upon Ro’s face by the fire made her look more human than ever, and Anhura wondered why she’d ever thought otherwise.

~ 

“What can you tell me about the crown prince?”

Ro sighed, letting her eyes fall closed as she soaked up the last rays of sunshine they’d see before the everpresent clouds of the Dark blocked them out.  Anhura waited, every nerve wound tight, as her new friend kept quiet. She’d learned much about the Dark from Ro, but her future husband hadn’t been mentioned.  Anhura was fairly certain this wasn’t a good thing.

“Ro?”

“He will not mistreat you, my lady.  Pallis is… I would not call him kind, but he will respect you as a woman of your station deserves.  I know not what you’ve heard, but Pallis is not as cruel as you’ve been led to believe. I see the fear in your eyes when I say his name.  There is no need to be afraid. He is a good man.”

“Thank the gods,” Anhura breathed, much of the fear draining from her.  Ro spoke with such confidence that Anhura couldn’t help trusting her.

“And if he ever disrespected you, rest assured that he would face consequences from all his court,” Ro continued, an edge creeping into her voice.

“You speak like you know the man,” Anhura commented, steering the conversation away from the dangerous thoughts blooming at the back of her mind.

“I did.  We were childhood friends.”

“A prince and a guard?”

“A prince and the woman fourth in line to the throne.  My father is third, after Adakias, and I his only child.  My nobility does not halt my desire to prove myself in combat.”

“I wish I could.”

“You fight?”  Ro sounded so disbelieving that Anhura couldn’t help bristling just a little.

“No, I-- I wished to rule.”  Anhura couldn’t believe she’d said so much.  Perhaps it was the wildness of the space between the Dark and Light, maybe Ro’s company, but these were thoughts she’d never voice at home.  The first lesson of nobility was how to hold your tongue. Anhura dropped her eyes to her politely folded hands. “My apologies.”

“You will not be a figurehead here, my lady,” Ro said softly, gently.  “The Dark will welcome you, given time.”

“I hope that they may.”

Ro nodded quietly, then returned her attention to the road stretching out before them.  Neither of them spoke again until nightfall, when the great wall of charcoal stone stretched high into the sky above them.  The land of the Dark felt hostile to Anhura, grey and massive and so secure she feared she’d never leave.

“State your purpose,” a voice bellowed from the top of the wall, and Anhura couldn’t help the way she twitched at the sound.

“Lady Letiro has returned with Princess Anhura of the Light,” shouted back the herald of their party.  “And crops from the Light as a gesture of goodwill.”

Instantly, a dull hubbub came from the top of the wall as the news was passed around.  Ro’s warriors had seemed healthy enough, but Anhura knew that the Dark had been suffering greatly over the past months.

With a deafening grinding sound, the massive gates swung open to allow a squadron to exit.  Immediately, they moved to surround Anhura’s escort and begin taking the wagons of food from the warriors, dragging them inside the gates and off to who knows where.

“Princess Anhura.”

Anhura startled, her attention drawn to a black-clad man standing at her horse’s side and watching her closely with intelligent dark eyes.  He’d extended a hand up to her, the very picture of correctness. Knowing just how to play her part, Anhura swung her leg over the top pommel and took his hand, stepping down onto the block placed at her horse’s side some time since they’d arrived.  Once safely on the ground, the man stayed close by, seeming not to notice the way Anhura took a subtle step away to preserve her propriety.

It was only then that Anhura looked around to find Ro standing nearby, expressionless, with eyes oddly shuttered in a way that instantly made Anhura a little more alert.  And the warrior’s gaze was fixed over Anhura’s shoulder on the man. Anhura turned back to study him, taking in the intricate patterns sewn into his otherwise nondescript uniform, the black paint smeared across his eyes, the air of quiet menace about him.  She noticed the neutral expression on his face, no trace of emotion to turn his expression into something welcoming. She met his cold eyes and found nothing there. Then the man smiled like a formality and bowed to Anhura in a smooth motion that had her forcing herself not to back away.

“Welcome to the Dark,” said the man.  “My name is Pallis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever I write Ro I'm tempted to veer off into Anhura/Ro territory bc they'd be so adorable together.
> 
> Up next: A view into how Pallis and Adakias have been doing during all this.


	3. Pallis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pallis shares his opinion on his upcoming marriage. Spoiler alert: he's not happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the fic is from Wouldn't It Be Nice by the Beach Boys.

“I’m sorry, father, you’d like me to do… what?”

Pallis’ father sighed, the dullness of his eyes betraying the toll the past months had taken on him. Evyr was dwarfed by the massive slate throne he sat upon, turned slim and sallow by the famine. His sons fared better, the resilience of their youth making them far hardier against the hunger. But even the room itself showed signs of suffering. Where once had hung great tapestries depicting the victories of the Dark, bare wall took its place. The empty pedestals along the walls missed their golden figures, the portraits of past rulers left behind to glare down at the current inhabitants of the hall. The tapestries were much better put to use as blankets for the poor, the gold melted down for money to trade for food. Maybe the great kings of old would disapprove, but the people had to come first. It mattered more than ever now, when their resources were spread so thin. 

“I know how you feel about this, and I’m sorry. But you know as well as I do that we’re running out of options.” His father spread his arms wide invitingly. “If you have any other ideas, I’m glad to hear them.”

“I… I don’t.”

“Then you must do this, for the sake of our people. The Light will demand some guarantee of our alliance; you know what they think of us. I can think of no way better than a political marriage.”

“Why does it have to be him?”

Evyr turned to his younger son with a faint smile, countering his frustration with calm.

“We need this, Adi. Whatever we can offer them, we must. And an eldest son is the most we have to give. We cannot let Pallis’ preferences interfere with politics.”

“But it’s wrong!” Adakias had never sounded younger. Even with twenty-two years to his name, the second of the two princes seemed far too young to hold any sort of power. He cared too much about the individual to make bigger decisions for the sake of the kingdom. If he couldn’t even watch his brother marry unwillingly to save lives, how could he send men into combat, how could he raise taxes for the good of the lands?

“It’s alright,” Pallis put in, bumping his shoulder into his brother’s and forcing a smile. “I’m sure my wife will be a lovely woman. This will not be torture for me.”

“But you shouldn’t have to,” Adakias retorted, a spark of his usual spirit finally showing through the helplessness. And with that, he spun on his heel and strode out of the hall, frustration outline in every inch of his frame.

“Pallis, if you would…”

“Of course, father.” Pallis sketched an informal bow, then jogged after his brother.

Behind the elder prince, Pallis’ father slumped in his seat and let his eyes fall closed. After a moment, his lips began to move as he silently begged the great scientist himself for forgiveness. He desperately hoped that the woman of the Light would be kind.

~

“Adi? Please, we aren’t children anymore. I want to speak with you.”

Pallis’ voice rang hollow through the halls, barely disturbing the listless staff lurking in every corner. None would meet his eyes.

“Miss, have you seen my brother?”

The maid he addressed seemed startled, jolting into awareness at his voice. Even with the respect she was forcing into her demeanor, Pallis could see the fear lying beneath it. It was times like these that he truly despised his reputation.

“I believe he was going to his rooms, sire” the woman said, gaze fixed firmly on the floor. “Not a minute ago.”

Pallis bit down his gratitude, instead nodding curtly and striding off in the direction of Adakias’ rooms. Conveniently, yet unsurprisingly, the doors were left slightly open. Adakias always wanted to be found when he fell into one of these moods. And the boy himself was sitting on the ground, legs folded in a way Pallis knew he hated. This was a habit he’d picked up from the elder prince.

“Hey.” Pallis situated himself nearby, but not close enough for Adakias to reach and try to trip him. Still, it seemed like such thoughts were far from Adakias’ mind. “You don’t need to defend me like that.”

“You’ll hate it,” Adakias said sullenly. “It doesn’t matter how nice she is, you’ll hate every second of it.”

“No, I’ll--”

“You’ll hate it. I know you will.”

Pallis sighed, entirely out of arguments. Giving in, he sat beside his brother and pulled his knees to his chest in a way he hadn’t since his youth. His uniform would be wrinkled horribly, but he didn’t care.

“I’m scared,” Pallis whispered, wishing he wasn’t so ashamed of the fact.

“Who knows, maybe those from the Light are so afraid of us that she won’t dare share your bed.”

Adakias paused as Pallis shifted to glare at him.

“Or maybe she’ll be entirely understanding of your… oddities,” Adakias offered, a grin breaking through his formerly dark expression.

Pallis reached out without thinking and shoved his brother over, letting himself smile back. Adakias laughed shortly as he picked himself back up, settling to lean against Pallis’ side. Pallis leaned back, enjoying the way he didn’t have to look around for servants, didn’t have to keep his cold reputation intact.

“I would sooner die than give her cause to fear me.”

“You’re not scary, you’re a loser,” Adakias chimed in and Pallis pushed him again. This time, Adakias fought back and the two tussled for a moment. Adakias was left with his eyepaint smeared across his nose, and Pallis with his hair standing nearly straight up.

“This isn’t the end, you know.”

“What?”

“It’s not like everything’s going to change,” Adakias explained. “Just because you’re married… you’ll still be you. You won’t stop being Pallis of the Dark.”

“Thanks.” Pallis slung his arm around his brother’s shoulders, drawing comfort from the contact. “I still wish I didn’t have to.”

“Me too,” Adakias said simply, calmly, and Pallis gained a glimpse of what his impulsive baby brother would grow into one day. It gave him hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Pallis has a problem with this marriage too! But he's gonna try to handle it, poor guy.
> 
> Up next: The Dark and Light finally meet!


	4. Anhura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anhura meets the royal family of the Dark. None of them are quite what she expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a panic attack. More details at the end.

_“Welcome to the Dark,” said the man. “My name is Pallis.”_

“I am Anhura, princess of the sun,” Anhura introduced herself, performing the traditional greeting of the Dark. Much like the convoy sent to bring her here, Pallis’ eyebrows rose slightly as he returned the motion.

“I see you have been taught of our culture, my lady,” Pallis commented, tone terrifyingly flat even with the lighthearted remark on his lips.

“Of course, my lord,” Anhura replied easily, letting a polite smile cross her face. “I wished to learn whatever I could of the land soon to become my home.”

Pallis inclined his head slowly, remaining silent. The moment stretched on, the tension growing rapidly as Anhura despaired in the idea of marrying this man. It couldn’t be enough that he was dangerous and cold-hearted, he had to be impossible to speak to. With every passing second, Anhura became more aware of the crowd standing around, watching them.

“Would you care to join me in meeting the king?” Pallis finally spoke first, words sounding a little hurried as they tripped off his tongue.

“Of course, my lord,” Anhura replied as demurely as she could. It was very quickly becoming evident that this would not be a marriage of mutual respect and eventual fondness. This man was best obeyed; she had no way of knowing how he would react if she dared to work against him. Anhura had been taught to conceal her true feelings from a young age, just like the prince standing before her, but she’d never seen anyone do so with such emptiness in their eyes. It was as if the thing before her was no man, only a machine in the shape of one.

As Anhura carefully smoothed down her usually effortless mask, the prince held his arm out to her. Left with no other choice and suddenly feeling very far from home, Anhura took his arm. Bafflingly, Pallis twitched at her touch, but steadied quickly to lead her in toward the keep. Silently, a squadron gathered around them protectively and kept pace as they walked.

And what a keep it was! Jagged dark rock stretched high in the sky, shining like it had been polished yet gnarled wildly at places. It was oddly beautiful, Anhura found, despite the difference from the ordered white brick of her home. This would be her new home, Anhura’s mind reminded her cruelly, and suddenly the castle seemed far more foreboding.

Perhaps a little of Anhura’s apprehension slipped through the cracks in her carefully maintained mask, and the prince at her side dropped his arm and stepped away from her. Feigning ignorance, compelled by a strange bravery, Anhura turned to the prince and widened her eyes slightly, the perfect expression of polite confusion.

“Is everything alright, my prince?”

Pallis hesitated, a frown slipping onto his face.

“I only wish for you to be comfortable,” Pallis said slowly, tone carefully measured. “You must let me know if I’ve done something to conflict with that.”

“Thank you,” Anhura said without thinking, the response deeply ingrained. But behind the automatic words, a hint of curiosity reared up. Pallis sounded far too uncertain for that to be a practiced response. And if a considerate response needn’t be rehearsed, did that not mean that the speaker was truly kind? No, Anhura shook herself out of it. Hope wouldn’t help her here. Best to simply see her future husband as he was; the man of the stories, the reason so many feared the Dark.

“And of course, the same holds for you,” Anhura’s training took over as she replied, mind racing. Return the offer, tell him that you wish to be equals, keep a neutral tone to avoid offense.

“I’ll hardly need that,” Pallis said quickly, words stumbling into each other as derision coated his voice like a film. As he spoke, he visibly shifted, as if gathering himself up for a fight.

At a loss, Anhura kept her mouth shut and instead simply nodded. She hadn’t intended on causing him any offense, but it seemed the prince wasn’t pleased with her words. Was this a rejection of her suggestion of equality? That certainly couldn’t be good.

Fortunately, they soon reached the door to the keep, and Anhura found herself relaxing at the familiar sight of the guards stationed outside. She’d never have guessed it would look so much like home.

“My father looks forward to meeting you,” Pallis remarked from nowhere, and Anhura turned to level the blandest possible expression in his direction.

“As you said, sire.”

Pallis stared back at her for a few seconds longer, unsettlingly still, then seemed to make some sort of gesture to the guards, who swung the great doors open with the quiet grating of wood on stone. And there it stood before her; the famed hall of the Dark. Rather than any kind of intimidation, or even the awe she felt at home, Anhura felt only solemn understanding at the sight. The hall, though clearly built to be grand, was instead stripped bare of all ornamentation. She knew that the Dark preferred not to openly display their wealth to any visitor who happened to wander through, though few they may be, as was obvious in Pallis’ plain uniform. But this… for the first time, Anhura truly understood how dire things were for their sister kingdom.

And at the head of the hall, four great stone thrones dominated the room, though only two were occupied. Two men, one who had to be the king and the other around Anhura’s age, sat in the thrones. While the king sat tall and proud with the same quiet menace she’d seen from Pallis, the younger man lounged at an angle. Undignified, Anhura decided with a hint of disapproval.

“Presenting my lord Pallis, crown prince and heir to the throne, Duke of Pryston, my liege,” declared a herald in the proud voice favoured by those in such a profession. “And alongside him, the lady Anhura of the Light, crown princess and heir to the throne of the Light.”

Pallis bowed deeply to the king, and Anhura repeated the greeting she’d had to perform so many times. While the king nodded his respect to them, the undignified young man’s face broke into a grin for a moment before he wrangled his expression under control. Anhura found her cheeks heating slightly in embarrassment and frustration. It was clear he was laughing at her, and she redirected a little more thought to keeping her teeth from grinding in annoyance. It wouldn’t do to offend a member of the royal family, certainly not so soon after arriving.

“We welcome you to the land of the Dark, my lady,” said the king, voice low and calm. “May you always be at home within these walls.”

“Thank you, sire. I look forward to becoming a part of the house of the Dark.”

“Please,” the king said in a far lighter tone, “you are a lady in your own right. You need not call me ‘sire’. ‘Evyr’ is enough, princess. And the same goes for Pallis and Adakias.” He gestured gracefully to the boy sitting beside him at the latter name, who raised one hand in a loose wave.

“My king!” cried a man dressed in soldier’s uniform as he strode down the hall. “What will you have us do with the crops brought from the Light?”

Though a look of irritation flashed across Evyr’s face at the interruption, relief rapidly followed in its footsteps as the guard’s words sunk in.

“I will need to speak with the council before making any decisions. Gather them together and have them collected in the Eastern chamber. With haste, if you would.”

“Right away, sire!”

With nothing more than a polite nod to Anhura as he left, King Evyr of the Dark stood from his throne and strode out of the room. Silence rang through the air as Anhura forced herself not to turn to Pallis for guidance.

“My lady, if you’d come with me, I can show you to your suite.”

Anhura was about to reply to Pallis with some form of polite agreement when she was interrupted by the pointed clearing of a throat. She turned to see Adakias, the younger prince, standing nearby and looking as if he had something to say.

“Instead, brother, may I suggest that the lady remains here with me until you can ensure the rooms are ready?” Adakias’ voice was far warmer than his brother’s, and Anhura immediately found him far less threatening than her husband-to-be. The thought felt vaguely inappropriate.

“Are you sure, brother?” Pallis was glaring at Adakias with a familiar look on his face. Anhura recognized it as the way she glowered as she told off Lera. And Pallis was finally showing some emotion, remarkable.

“Why don’t we ask the lady what she thinks?”

Anhura quickly contained her panic as both men turned to her. She couldn’t risk offending either, not this early in the game.

“Whatever you feel is best, my lord.”

The brothers exchanged another look, before Adakias gestured toward the exit and stood just a little straighter.

“I’ll stay with lady Anhura,” Adakias said firmly, and that was it. Pallis left, and Anhura was alone with the younger prince. Of course, servants stood silent along the edges of the room, but they offered little comfort to her now.

“I must tell you, my lady, that bow hasn’t been used in centuries.”

Anhura pulled her attention back to Adakias to find him smiling faintly, hands clasped behind his back as he rocked back onto his heels.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Your greeting.” Adakias performed a poor imitation of the bow Anhura had been using, complete with wildly flailing hands. “It’s rather outdated.”

“…I see,” Anhura said carefully, as the conversation suddenly veered into uncharted territory.

“We bow normally, just like you’ve seen Pallis do.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

“Adakias, please.”

Anhura nodded her agreement, and hated this situation just a little. She wished she had the political security to speak her mind. Yes, the Dark needed the cooperation of the Light right now, but she was the one who’d be living here for the rest of her life. Annoying the royal family wasn’t an option.

“You know you can speak freely amongst us, princess. Don’t you?”

Suddenly, Adakias’ tone had turned uncertain, and Anhura immediately felt safer. It was reassuring to know that she was not the only one out of her element.

“Of course.”

They lapsed into silence yet again, before Adakias finally offered her his arm and tilted his head oddly toward the door.

“Would you care for a tour of the palace?”

“I believe my lord Pallis expected us to remain here.” Anhura tried her hardest not to seem like she was chastising Adakias.

“Oh, Pallis will find us easily enough. And if I don’t interfere in his plans often enough, he grows complacent.”

Anhura raised her eyebrows, indescribably relieved at the tentative humour in Adakias’ voice. It was a clear attempt at lightening the mood, and she wanted nothing more, especially in this dreary dark land where everyone seemed just a little lethargic.

“It seems you two are quite close,” Anhura remarked, taking Adakias’ arm. “You remind me of my sisters and I.”

“You have siblings?”

“The younger is Jem, the other Lera.” When Adakias looked expectant for more information, Anhura quickly searched for something she could say that wouldn’t give much away. “Jem has thirteen summers to her name, Lera sixteen.”

“Do they not have other traits beyond their age?”

Anhura’s head snapped up at the vaguely insulting tone of Adakias’ voice, but she forced herself to relax when she saw the casual interest in his eyes. It seemed his teasing was nothing more than it seemed.

“Lera is a student at our academy of sciences. I expect she will take a specialization in biology when she comes of age.”

“Biology?”

“The study of living things. Not as a healer, I don’t think. She’s inclined to scholarship.” Anhura didn’t bother concealing the pride in her voice. It was wonderful to have someone to speak with about the great sciences beyond her instructors.

“I was taught history,” Adakias offered, “but it seems far less formal than your own studies. The Dark has no academy like the one you’ve described. Only nobles are taught a collection of skills deemed necessary for their roles.”

“Such as?”

“Such as a comprehensive knowledge of important figures in the Dark. Look at the ceiling there.” Adakias gestured upward and Anhura craned her neck back to see the remarkable structures supporting the high ceilings of the chamber they’d entered. “They were developed by an engineer named Gysen Daughter of Jor nearly five centuries ago. The use of rock in all our architecture forces us to develop the best methods of supporting such a structure.”

“Impressive,” Anhura remarked, meaning it. “I look forward to learning more about your land.”

“It will be your land too, once you marry my brother.”

“Yes, of course.”

Adakias continued walking, leading her out of the chamber and into yet another seemingly-endless hallway. But he remained quiet for a long moment, and Anhura resisted the urge to look askance at the younger prince. Finally, he glanced over at her with a strange look on his face.

“Forgive me for prying, my lady, but you seem… disheartened at the thought of your wedding. Is something wrong?”

“No, I--”

Adakias had raised an eyebrow in disbelief, but furthermore, he didn’t look offended at the thought of her discontent. She still didn’t dare speak of her true fears, but surely it wouldn’t be an issue if she mentioned feeling… trepidatious.

“I’ve had little time to speak with Prince Pallis. I would not consider myself familiar with him, not yet. And the Dark is yet foreign to me. I face a series of new circumstances, and I find myself unsure as to where I will find myself.”

“I see,” Adakias said evenly, nodding understandingly. “My lady, may I speak candidly?”

“Certainly.”

“Here, among those who do not know him well, Pallis is regarded as somewhat of a figure of myth. I’ve heard tales shared by the servants; they fear him. Some call him inhuman, having seen him fight. The peasants bow to him not with respect, but with wariness. Would I be incorrect to assume that same reputation has extended to the Light?”

Anhura knew her eyes were wide, her mask of royalty failing her in this face of this irreverent, foolish prince who’d read her in an instant. Her mind rapidly ran through her limited options, from changing the subject to denying it all. But before she could say anything at all, Adakias was pulling away from her and putting a few paces between them, raising his hands in a makeshift surrender.

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have said that. I won’t tell Pallis, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No, you’re right,” Anhura cut off Adakias’ frantic speech before he could lose any more control. And seeing him so worried quelled much of her fears of what he’d do with the truth, should she share it. “I’m… I’ve heard little of Pallis, even less of it good. I’m nervous.”

“You don’t need to be.”

Adakias beckoned Anhura toward a nearby bench placed against the wall of the hallway they stood in. Letting out a slow breath, Anhura sat beside the prince and tried to convince herself that she was free to share her thoughts with this man.

“I know that Pallis can be… stoic. But do you not have a face you put on for the public? He has the same, and I can assure you that the truth he hides is far less intimidating.”

“Thank you for telling me this, Adakias.”

“It’s only right that you know, princess,” Adakias said softly, a smile slipping onto his face as he kept his eyes levelled on the ground before him. Mentally, Anhura reclassified him as a possible ally during her time in the Dark.

“I only hope that I grow to know the true Pallis during our courtship.”

“Courtship?” Adakias’ face was twisted into a discouraging frown as he replied. “What--”

“My lady!”

Anhura jumped at Pallis’ voice, overloud and just as emotionless as ever. The elder prince stood nearby with his hands clasped behind his back and his spine stiff, every inch the soldier. Anhura instinctively wanted to flinch back from the imposing figure he cut.

“Our rooms have been prepared,” Pallis said, sweeping an arm out toward the door behind him. “I assume you’re tired from your journey, and if you’d like to retire immediately…”

“Pallis, may I speak with you?” Adakias cut in, drawing an irritated glance from Pallis.

“Certainly, brother.”

Adakias turned to Anhura, as if expecting her to leave. Anhura held herself still, trying not to look particularly interested in the urgent conversation that was about to take place.

“Speak, Adakias,” Pallis prompted flatly.

“The lady was just telling me of the courtship rituals of the Light,” Adakias nearly hissed, thinly veiled panic in his voice. “Anhura, what does this courtship entail?”

“It… it means that the betrothed take several months to grow accustomed to each other’s presence before the marriage. It is a long-held tradition in the Light.”

“And I assume a customary distance is maintained, for the sake of… convention?”

“It is a tradition, yes,” Anhura said slowly, her gaze flickering between the brothers, unsure of what she was missing here.

“Will you tell her, or shall I?” Adakias sounded upset now, a concerning attitude on him.

“We had assumed that you would be staying in my suite,” Pallis said quickly, voice tight. “No other rooms have been prepared for you.”

“And I assume that this is unacceptable,” Adakias continued while Anhura’s mind raced desperately. If she was being forced to marry Pallis, she’d reassured herself with the knowledge that she’d get a few months to accept the idea. And now that she had nowhere to stay but in the man’s chambers? The dread she’d just been forcing down had made its unwelcome return. Over the time she’d had since first learning of her betrothal, (far too little time, if she was honest with herself,) she’d tried to forget the rumours surrounding the Dark and its people. But now her fears were clawing at the edges of her carefully constructed formalities, now the deeds of her wedding night were staring her down, now Pallis’ cold demeanor offered little reassurance and she was so spectacularly alone–

“…Princess? Anhura! She can’t hear me.”

“Adi, get rid of my manservant. Come _on_ , quickly!”

Hands landed heavily on Anhura’s shoulders and she jolted, eyes shutting on instinct as she fought against the restraint. But instead of letting go, the grip tightened and began pulling her backward, leaving her off-balance and flailing helplessly.

“Relax, Anhura, it’s okay.” Then, “close the door, now!”

The hands shook Anhura slightly and she focused on the solid grip, a constant amidst her panic. She was pushed backward and down, then she found herself sitting on something soft and comfortable. Her hands dropped to investigate the surface, finding the distinctive softness of well-used leather, and Anhura decided she was sitting on a sofa. Her shaking fingers dug into the cushion and she dragged in a rough breath.

“That’s good,” a low voice reassured her, and the hands on her shoulders slid down her arms to rest above her elbows. Fuzzily, she noticed a thumb gently stroking across her skin, a careful comfort even as the fear coursed through her. “Breathe,” said the voice.

“Not… not sure… can’t do that,” Anhura managed between gasps.

“That’s okay,” the voice said, and the hands squeezed her arms gently. “But you have to try. Just… you’re safe here. I swear. I’m not… I’m not what they say I am.”

Anhura dragged in a deeper breath than the others and forced her eyes open. Pallis knelt before her, sad eyes fixed on her as he held her, kept her grounded. Adakias stood a few paces away, eyes wide and frightened, helpless. Somehow, her fear of Pallis had been quelled in an instant by his gentleness in this moment. The man before her now was nothing like the one she’d first met just beyond the gates.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No… I’m fine, I’m…” Gritting her teeth, Anhura got to her feet, resisting the urge to shake off Pallis’ proximity. Sure, the fear was fading, but her dignity hated the help she’d needed. Pallis immediately stood and backed off, keeping his movements quiet and smooth. Some part of Anhura’s mind decided that he must have done this before. “I don’t need help.”

“I’m pretty sure you do,” Adakias put in, voice shaking just a little. “You couldn’t breathe properly a moment ago.”

“Anhura,” Pallis said lowly, words heavy with importance, “you have to know that I’m not… as cruel as you’ve been told. I would never hurt you, nor anyone else outside of combat. Do you understand?”

Anhura nodded wordlessly, there was nothing else for her to do. She’d just been drowned in her own panic at the thought of marrying Pallis a few months earlier than expected, of course she’d feared him.

“If you’ll allow it,” Anhura began, slipping back into the well-worn patterns of formality, “I’d like to retire now.”

“I assume you’d rather not stay here,” Pallis said, matching her stilted speech as he drew himself up into his usual composure, only missing the air of danger that surrounded him like poison.

“You’re right,” Anhura told the stone beneath her feet, allowing a faint smile to crack her composure. A heavy exhaustion had threaded its way into her bones while she was trying to breathe, and she wanted nothing more than to sleep. Just not here.

“You can stay with me,” Adakias offered, so much of that youthful contentment stripped from his tone. “We aren’t courting, it should be alright.”

“Fine,” Anhura agreed, tiredly shoving her shoulders back as she turned her gaze to the door. Outside this room, the moment of informality between the three of them would be forbidden, and she hated it just a little.

“Anhura, if you’d join me…” Adakias was holding his arm out to her, and Anhura did what she was expected to and took it. There was a comfort to his proximity.

“Adi…”

“I’ve got this,” Adakias said calmly, slipping into his own mask. “Shall we?”

Anhura just nodded, keeping her mouth shut, and allowed Adakias to lead her out of the room. As they stepped into the hall, she forced a polite smile onto her face, despite her exhaustion. It wouldn’t do to let the public see her like this, certainly not on her first day. She drifted as Adakias steered her down the hall, making occasional comments that didn’t seem to expect any answer. Finally, they reached Adakias’ rooms, and Anhura found herself swaying on her feet as she stood in the entryway, waiting for direction. In her state, she let herself trust Adakias enough to follow him thoughtlessly as he guided her to the bedroom and handed her a far oversized nightgown. Anhura quickly stripped out of her dress and hung it on a hook she found on the wall, unspeakably glad that this particular dress did not have a corset. She pulled the nightgown over her head and curled up in the bed, burrowed deep into the pillows and blankets surrounding her.

When Anhura slept, she did not dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Anhura is told that she is expected to share Pallis' rooms, something with which she is very uncomfortable. There is a throwaway comment about wedding nights, implying that she expects to need to sleep with him. Her fears lead to an anxiety attack, which is handled with moderate success by Adakias and Pallis. Anhura then agrees to stay with Adakias until her own rooms are prepared.
> 
> ~
> 
> Honestly, one of my favourite things to write is Pallis' bad reputation. He's a pretty scary dude and it's fun to juxtapose that with Adakias' rep of being a vapid dreamer. In this verse, i'm basically saying that their canon descriptions are only what outsiders think of them. That gives me way more freedom to mess with their actual characters! also if pallis was completely canon then there'd be a lot more murdering.
> 
> Next up: Anhura and Adakias hang out and things go surprisingly not bad.


	5. Adakias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adakias and Anhura discuss the finer details of her upcoming courtship.

Adakias’ morning was perfectly fine for nearly a minute. He came out of sleep slowly, dragging himself into awareness just like he always did, and he noticed nothing wrong until he tried to get up. When he rolled over, he bumped into something that felt suspiciously un-bed-like, and opened his eyes blearily to find a cushion a few inches from his face. Pushing himself upright with difficulty, Adakias squinted at his surroundings, finding himself in his sitting room. The idea baffled him until he remembered just why he wasn’t in his bedroom.

“No,” he groaned, struck by the memory of what had happened the previous night. “ _Noooooooo_.”

He struggled up off the couch, thoroughly displeased with the stiffness caused by sleeping on it, and leveled his eyes on the bedroom door. The princess of the Light was in there, presumably asleep, and Adakias wanted absolutely nothing less than to wake her. At least in sleep, she couldn’t accuse his brother of being a militaristic monster. Still, it felt oddly inappropriate leaving Anhura asleep and unaware just one room over.

Steeling himself, Adakias traipsed over to the bedroom door and knocked lightly.

“Princess? It’s…” Adakias glanced at the mechanical clock set in the corner. “It’s nearly eight. Maybe you could get up? Lady Anhura?”

Silence from the bedroom. Adakias waited awkwardly, trying to decide if knocking again would be rude.

“Good morning,” came an even voice from inside, only a little rough with sleep. Adakias was quietly impressed by her coherency.

“It’s me,” Adakias added, searching for something to say. “Adakias.”

“I gathered,” Anhura said dryly, some of yesterday’s composure slipping away. Adakias hoped that meant things were looking up.

“So… I’m sure you’ve seen the washbasin in the corner. Is there anything… else?”

“I don’t have my wardrobe,” Anhura admitted after a brief pause. “I gave my things to your seneschal when I first arrived here. If you could have them brought here, I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Of course,” Adakias said gratefully, glad to have a concrete task to fulfill. “I’ll do that. Of course.”

Adakias paused, wondering if another response was on its way. It wasn’t. He crept to the door, somehow feeling the need to be silent, and eased his way out.

~

Adakias didn’t realize how long he’d taken until he finally made his way back to his rooms and saw that nearly an hour had passed. It seemed the time had vanished somewhere between tracking down the seneschal and tracking down the person whom the seneschal had passed the task off to. And this left Adakias loitering uncomfortably in the hallway after dropping off the princess’ things in his suite, doing his best to look like nothing was wrong.

Then a single knock resonated through the door, and Adakias glanced around furtively before entering. He wasn’t entirely sure why he felt the need for secrecy, especially since he and the princess hadn’t been particularly subtle the night before, but it seemed worth a try.

“My lord,” Anhura greeted softly, clad in a long grey dress with an oversized crimson bow cinched around the waist and seated gracefully on Adakias’ sofa.

“My apologies for the delay. I didn’t mean to take so long.”

“I’m grateful for your help nonetheless,” Anhura replied with a slight tilt of her head, and Adakias was struck by how warm she seemed, even in a land so far from her own. For a moment, he was caught in the idea, and only shook himself out of it when he feared he’d make her uncomfortable.

“You’re far too good for Pallis,” he remarked instead, hoping to lighten the mood. It was only when Anhura visibly tensed that he recalled just why saying that was a bad idea. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I’ve heard a great many comments in that vein, my lord,” Anhura said, and this time her tone was considerably colder. “I’d hope that the brother of my future husband would share something more… informative.”

“Sorry.”

Anhura’s eyebrows rose slightly at the apology. Adakias inwardly winced and began to wish he didn’t have to perform these conversational acrobatics with a woman who seemed to take everything the wrong way.

“May I be candid, my lord?”

“Adakias.”

“May I be candid, Lord Adakias?”

Adakias hesitated, and for a moment he almost thought that the princess’ voice held a touch of amusement. He mentally marked it down as a step in the right direction.

“Of course, my lady.” It only seemed right to use the formalities Anhura had initiated.

“Yesterday, I mentioned that I’ve heard… negative things about Lord Pallis. I recognize that you told me that I was mistaken, and I’m grateful for it, but I believe that my reservations are justified. In addition to this, you know about the period of courtship maintained in the Light. I’m afraid I cannot yield there.”

“Fair terms,” Adakias agreed.

“Then I’d like to know where you stand on these issues. They are too crucial to our alliance to put off any longer.”

“Again, I agree. For your second point, whatever courtship period you deem necessary will be followed here, I will make sure of that. And for your first… would a series of chaperoned meetings with Pallis be enough to make you more comfortable with him?”

“I’m not uncomfortable with Pallis,” Anhura corrected, a little too quickly.

“Don’t worry, princess, he is a rather strange fellow,” Adakias said, hoping Anhura wouldn’t somehow misinterpret his words.

“So I’ve been told,” Anhura said lowly, letting a slight smile cross her face.

Adakias silently congratulated himself on not committing another faux pas as he swept an arm out toward the door. Anhura was still smiling at him, an expression that made it just a little difficult to keep a straight face, and this was likely the lightest the air between them had ever felt.

“But before we discuss any further politics, how would you feel about eating breakfast at the spring?”

“A spring?” Anhura’s voice twisted upward in a way that made Adakias just a little worried. “I’m intrigued.”

“Then shall we?” Adakias held his arm out to the princess and hoped. She took his arm, and Adakias led the lady of the Light out into the dawn.

~

The Great Spring was possibly Adakias’ favourite place in all of the Dark. There was something about the wildness of the water that made him perfectly content to sit nearby for hours and hours, watching the waves flow by from the small table placed by the man-made creek. And after the river finished its winding way through the chamber, it tumbled over the edge of a similar waterfall to the one it had stemmed from, out of sight.

Adakias loved the drama of the falls juxtaposed with the softness of the river. He loved the craggy rock that the storied palace architects had left nearly untouched to bring a hint of nature into the meticulously crafted castle. He loved the startling coldness of the water itself, the brightness of the temperature against the warm, still air.

And most importantly, he truly adored that the grand crashing of the water against the rocks allowed them to speak without the servants hearing.

“So,” Adakias began, setting down the last half of his roll. “What would you like to do about Pallis?”

Anhura took his blunt words remarkably well, showing no response beyond a single raised eyebrow and tilt to the head that made Adakias just a little jealous of her flawless composure.

“I look forward to my courtship with your brother,” Anhura said calmly, in a manner suggesting that Adakias was mad for asking such a thing. “I’m certain our marriage will bring great prosperity to our lands.”

“We can speak openly here, Anhura. The water masks anything we say.”

“Fascinating. I enjoy learning about this place, my lord.”

Again, distancing herself.

“I’m not trying to trick you. They can’t hear us, trust me.” Adakias could see the skepticism in Anhura’s eyes, but the fact that she was letting him see anything at all appeared to be a good sign. Not for the first time, Adakias found himself impressed by the princess’ careful navigation through the conversation. “Here, watch. Footmen!” None of the nearby footmen responded, even with his voice slightly raised. “Footmen, I believe I shall slay my brother and take his place as heir.”

Anhura’s eyes widened at his preposterous words, but she visibly relaxed when no one reacted. She set down her knife and fork and sat back from the polished stone table, levelling sharp grey eyes on Adakias. For a moment, Adakias was remarkably intimidated.

“All possibilities of fratricide aside, I believe we have a courtship to discuss. Shall we began planning a meeting with Pallis?”

Adakias, so relieved he could feel the tension loosening in his chest, grinned at the princess and beckoned one of the footmen over to clear their meal away. He shot Anhura a pointed look when the man showed no sign that Adakias had just casually mentioned murder. The princess let a small smile of acknowledgement curve her lips, just for a moment.

“That’s just-- thank you, Roland-- just what I’ve been waiting to hear.”

Anhura nodded to the footman and folded her hands demurely in her lap. She was the ideal noblewoman, but for the intelligence lighting her gaze. Adakias allowed himself to notice the princess’ striking beauty for no more than a breath before pushing the thought into the back of his mind.

“In the Light, each meeting between the betrothed is chaperoned by immediate family members or close friends of both parties,” Anhura began, words even as if she’d practiced them. “It matters not who the chaperone is, as long as the suitor they represent agrees to the arrangement. Of course, as I am the only citizen of the Light here, I will need a chaperone from the Dark.”

“It must be lonely,” Adakias commented unthinkingly. He felt vaguely guilty that he hadn’t considered it before, that her family was entirely out of her reach. Of course she was scared to marry Pallis. She had nowhere to go if things went wrong.

Anhura raised an eyebrow at the intrusion, but didn’t comment.

“Sorry. It’s not my place.”

“Back to the topic at hand,” Anhura went on as if nothing had happened. “I’ll leave you and Pallis to determine a chaperone for him, and I can find someone for myself. As for the event itself, I’d ask that Pallis and the Dark organize it. As I am unfamiliar with the land…”

“Of course,” Adakias said calmly, confidently. “I can assure you, Pallis will arrange something lovely. It’ll be perfectly romantic. It’ll be wonderful.”

“Excellent,” Anhura told him warmly, seeing through his thin veneer of confidence. “It’s customary to hold the first meeting no more than three days after the suitors are introduced to the lady. I suppose time is growing short.”

“Thank you for your instruction, princess,” Adakias said a little distractedly as he stood from the table and listed toward the nearest door. Panic was coursing through his veins.

“Good luck, my lord,” Anhura called after him as he fled the spring. Adakias could almost hear an edge of laughter in her voice. But that didn’t matter now. He had a courtship to plan and a brother to wrangle.

~

“Three… three days?”

Pallis looked gratifying distressed by the prospect. Adakias gleefully filed this moment away as a brilliant opportunity for blackmail, that the crown prince had needed help arranging a meeting with his own future wife. It allowed Adakias to feel a little less stress regarding the event itself.

“That’s what the lady said. Or, in fact, three days from the first meeting. So that would be two days from today.”

“…oh.” Pallis slumped miserably in his chair, slowly making his way closer to the floor. His face was twisted into a scowl as he doubtlessly pulled to mind everything he knew of romance. It wasn’t much, Adakias knew.

“And that is precisely why I’m going to take care of it.”

“Why what?” Pallis’ immediate jump to offense would have been funny if not for the panic in his eyes. It was still vaguely amusing.

“Because, to put it lightly, you aren’t exactly a seasoned suitor,” Adakias explained.

“Well I should hope not,” Pallis said quickly, more of habit than anything else.

“You know what I mean,” Adakias retorted, waving a hand lazily from his place in the opposite chair. He only had to pretend to be unconcerned so long as Pallis was present. “I’ll handle the first meeting. All you need to do is act the part of a prince when the moment arrives, and you should be alright. I can be your chaperone.”

Pallis held his tongue, his gaze wild though he kept still.

“Pallis?” Adakias’ brother snapped to attention at the sound of his name, spine stiffening thoughtlessly. “She’s a good woman. You’ll be alright.”

“She’ll do her duty,” Pallis said lowly, a parody of a smile gracing his features. “That’s what a good noblewoman would do.”

“You’ll be alright,” Adakias repeated as he stood from his place, stepping forth to set a hand on Pallis’ shoulder. In that moment, the oddness of it struck him, that he needed to comfort his elder brother like this. It was bizarre, to face the one thing that could scare the fearless warrior of the Dark. Adakias squeezed Pallis’ shoulder before letting go, drawing a deep breath that made him feel just a little more secure.

Once safely out of the room, with his back pressed to the wall, Adakias dragged an unsteady hand through his hair and blew out a frazzled breath. Then he tucked his hands behind his back and strode off to determine just how his brother was going to court the crown princess of the Light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen guys i know it's been a while. i Know. and i'd love to make up a bunch of excuses and to be fair i did go camping, where i had no wifi or computer for a few days, but i had this chapter done a couple days ago and i kinda forgot to post it because i was reading a longfic that was like 350 thousand words sooooooo


	6. Anhura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anhura faces the realities of her new courtship with Pallis.

Anhura felt remarkably good about her conversation with the younger of the two princes. Or, she felt as if she’d claimed a gratifying sort of power in her new position here, somewhat reassured by Adakias’ agreement with her hastily invented courtship rituals. And he’d even asked if she was lonely! It truly seemed as if he meant it, a sincerity she’d never expected from a man of the Dark. After her humiliating lapse on that first day, when she’d allowed the two princes to see her in a moment of weakness, the knowledge that she might have found an ally made Anhura wonder if she might just find her way to the top. And she could delay the wedding for just a while longer, which would certainly be a good thing.

Then she recalled that she’d invented some rule about needing a chaperone to bring along to the event with Pallis, and that good feeling went away rather quickly.

Sitting alone in Adakias’ chambers while the prince was off doing something that would apparently occupy him all day, Anhura’s isolation felt a little more complete than it had for her entire stay in the Dark so far. The room was perfectly silent, any noise warded off by the walls of stone enclosing the space, and Anhura wished she could hear something, even just the usual background noise of the servants bustling through the halls. And the servants, she’d noticed, they met her eyes when she looked at them. Odd.

But with the servants drawn to the surface of her mind, Anhura decided she couldn’t stand another second in this stifling room. She carefully adjusted her dress, ensuring each and every fold fell just how she wanted, snatched up the nearest book, and strode to the door. She considered knocking, but guessed that the sound wouldn’t carry. Instead, she pushed open the door, finding the task took far more effort than expected, and smiled politely at the servant standing at attention across the hall.

“Is there a garden you could direct me to?” Anhura recalled, all of a sudden, that the Dark received so little sunlight that they’d required produce sent from the Light to sustain them through the winter. The gardens of the Dark did not flourish these days. “Or perhaps a… a plaza of some kind?”

“Certainly, my lady,” the man replied, a pleasant half-smile adorning his features. “Please follow me.” It was still odd to Anhura, the confidence of the peasants here, but she refused to let any reaction show. She retreated into her favourite of all her masks; the vapid princess with not a thought in her head. No one ever questioned her when she let her eyes grow vacant and sent her mind far away. Anhura allowed the man to lead her for several minutes through the halls of the Dark before they came to a grand door, guarded closely by a pair of men who looked askance at her, but were deflected by the blankness in her eyes. Then the door was shoved open and the morning breeze rushed in, like it was as glad as she to finally be reunited. The weight of all that monstrous historic architecture lifted off Anhura’s shoulders as she took a breath of air that felt fresh for the first time since her arrival.

“Will that be all?”

Anhura snapped back to the present as the servant who’d led her to the outdoors smirked at her in a rather disrespectful manner. But the contempt he held for her authority seemed more grounded in the sight of her enjoying the fresh air without noble pretense, just for a moment, so she supposed she could forgive him this trespass.

“Yes, thank you. What…” Her rushed word caught the man as he began to leave, forcing him to swing back around, comically balanced on one foot. “What is your name?”

“Elian, my lady.”

“Thank you, Elian.”

With a wide grin on his face, Elian departed. Anhura stared after the unsettling servant for a moment before drawing a deep breath and turning to see where she’d been taken.

She stood at the edge of a large stone balcony enclosed on two sides by jagged grey rock soaring toward the sky, and the entrance into the palace at her back. Before her, the plateau held a small table with a pair of chairs overlooking a broad field, the grass painted in drab shades of brown. It was, overall, a rather depressing sight. It stood as a shining example of what the Dark had lost over its last cruel winter. Sighing, Anhura sat in one of the chairs, glancing at the book she’d brought, clutched tightly in one hand and nearly forgotten about. It was an account of the Dark by a spy of the Light, more than a century old. Glancing around furtively and somehow hoping she wouldn’t be caught reading such a book, Anhura turned to the first chapter, unfortunately titled “Into the Den of Evil.” With a sigh, she began to read.

Anhura fell into the account, enthralled even by the dated viewpoint and meandering language. It looked upon the Dark in a less-than-favourable light, but from what Anhura had seen, some of the descriptions of the society seemed accurate. The way the author prattled on about the cruelty of the citizens, though, was entirely unfounded and had Anhura wrinkling her nose in disgust at the spy’s words. Anhura was a student of the great academies of the Light, and it was rudimentary that evidence always preceded a statement of truth. It was unfair, she decided. Still, there was always something to be learned from another’s story.

“My lady Anhura,” a low voice began, dragging out Anhura’s name far longer than propriety dictated. “How odd it is to meet you here.”

Anhura jumped, looking way up to meet the sharp gaze of the second to the captain of the guard, standing over her with a carefully neutral expression. The woman was dressed, as ever, in her customary black uniform, with one hand casually resting on the dagger sheathed at her hip. The portrait she created was remarkably intimidating.

“Ro,” Anhura said, a little uncertainly and doing her very best not to sound it. She did her best to close the book as unobtrusively as possible, desperately hoping that Ro hadn’t caught a glimpse of the slander on the pages. “How long it’s been.”

“I’ve worried about you, my lady,” Ro went on, tucking her hands behind her back and taking a few paces away from Anhura. “You didn’t seem particularly… enthused about marrying Pallis.”

“Well, I certainly was shocked when I was told that the Dark has little concept of courtship,” and Anhura allowed her tone to sharpen indignantly. This was Ro, someone she knew she could confide in. She’d already done so, and the woman hadn’t betrayed her yet. For an instant, Anhura recalled her desperation as she’d questioned Ro about Pallis’ character. Shameful. “And that I was to share a bed with the man my very first night here.”

“Well then.” Ro’s eyebrows had shot upward, but the surprise on her face didn’t erase the composure she always held. Anhura found it remarkably comforting. “Did you?”

“Of course not!” Anhura hated the heat rising in her skin at the thought of such impropriety. “I was put up in Prince Adakias’ chambers when I made my… displeasure clear.”

“I’m glad you found a resolution to the issue. Though,” Ro paused, allowing a slightly crooked smile to cross her face, “that’s still a rather inappropriate place to board.”

“I was running out of options,” Anhura countered. She disliked the thought, and she disliked even more the fact that she hadn’t thought of it that way. “There was little else I could do.”

“You know, I don’t stay in the barracks, my lady. You could… forgive me, I would not suggest such a thing.”

Ro hesitated, glancing away as a faint, repetitive beat echoed from the distance. Anhura followed her gaze to see a group of warriors making their way onto the field below the balcony. All women, Anhura’s mind took a moment to point out before directing her attention back to Ro.

“Don’t leave it there,” Anhura challenged Ro, watching as the taller woman’s dark eyes narrowed at her. A little part of her was intimidated enough that she wanted to back down. She certainly regretted speaking so imperiously.

“If you don’t wish to stay in Adakias’ rooms, you could stay with me,” Ro said evenly. “I know that as a princess, you are accustomed to more… sophisticated surroundings--”

“That would be fine, Ro,” Anhura interrupted, feeling a little bad until Ro grinned, an expression that softened her demeanor considerably. “I’d be deeply indebted to you for such a thing.”

“I’d never ask a debt of you, my lady,” Ro said mildly, her ramrod-straight posture relaxing a measure. “I’m more than happy to offer you a place to stay.”

“Thank you,” Anhura dipped her head slightly. She wished she could say just how grateful she was to have somewhere to stay that wasn’t with either of the princes. Neither seemed treacherous, but the idea of being boarded separately was a relief she could hardly express. And she knew Ro, of all people to impose upon in such a manner. The soldier had already offered sound advice on the subject of the elder prince’s dubious character. Yes, Ro was a good choice.

“Apologies, my lady, but I must take my leave. My sisters-in-arms are training, and I could hardly forsake them now.”

“Certainly,” Anhura conceded, watching as Ro spun swiftly and made her way down a stone staircase Anhura hadn’t noticed before to the fields below. She stood by as Ro barked a few orders, drawing the attention of her compatriots, and directed them into a drill of some kind. It was truly remarkable, Anhura thought, that all these women were fighting as if they were men. Or in fact, Anhura was loath to admit, some were fighting better than the knights Anhura knew from her home. There was a total lack of structure that made them seem so much more vicious, but Anhura knew enough from spending her life around warriors to understand how valuable unpredictability could be.

Anhura returned her attention to her readings, as the clash of sword and shield rang distractingly in the background all the while. The world fell away as the words surrounded Anhura’s thoughts, and for a moment, she almost felt she as if she was home.

Some time later, Anhura looked up to the distinct clank of a warrior’s footsteps to see Ro, damp hair slicked back, a collection of weapons tucked under one arm. Her face was slightly flushed and the strictness of her stance had smoothed into a languid sort of ease.

“My lady,” Ro said with a tired grin, sweeping one hand lazily through the air. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“I could think of no reason to leave,” Anhua countered somewhat clumsily, caught off-guard by Ro’s informality.

“Well, I am returning to my rooms now, and now is as good a time as any for you to join me.”

“Of course,” Anhura said, taking up her book and standing. “I suppose I can have my things taken to your chamber.”

“Yes, certainly,” Ro stood to her full height and glanced around, “Elian!”

Anhura suppressed a groan as the same servant as before came strolling over.

“Lady Anhura,” Ro began far more formally, “this is the servant assigned to you. Aside from the duties of your lady’s maid, Elian will fetch and carry and do whatever errands you ask of him.”

“Actually, we’ve met,” Anhura said, smiling politely at Elian. Elian grinned lazily back at her, and she carefully tightened her grip on her composure. “Elian led me to this place.”

“How kind of him,” Ro said. “Now, would you care to bring my lady’s things to my chambers? She’ll be staying with me for the foreseeable future, excluding any chance of another sufficient room becoming available.”

“Certainly, Lady Letiro,” Elian said, then departed with a smile and a bow.

“Anhura, if you’d like…” Ro held her arm out in a gentlemanly fashion, and Anhura had to remind herself that things were different in the Dark before placing her hand in the crook of Ro’s elbow. Ro began walking, and Anhura took note of how long Ro’s stride as she took a few hurried steps to keep up. After only a few moments, Ro’s gait shifted slightly to better accommodate her, and Anhura was incredibly grateful.

The two of them walked slowly back to the palace and Anhura allowed herself to relax into the certainty that Ro was an ally here. She took in her surroundings in a way she usually avoided, looking around at the sleek architecture of the halls and passages. Anhura’s soft-soled slippers were inaudible alongside the sharp click of Ro’s heeled boots against the stone floor, and the sound made her smile.

“What is it?”

“Your boots,” Anhura nodded to them. “They have the same heels as those of our knights back home.”

“I imagine that I am somewhat similar to the knights you speak of,” Ro said, a gentle smile on her face and not a single trace of vanity in her tone. “We do not have any here.”

“You don’t? Then… who do your soldiers follow?”

“They follow me, my lady. I am captain of the guard in all but name.”

“Impressive, my lady,” Anhura nodded her respect. It seemed quite an accomplishment.

“We do not force to fight those who do not wish to. This way, every single soldier is dedicated to their cause. We find that it reduces insurrection.”

“Is that why Pallis fights, but Adakias does not?”

“Precisely,” Ro confirmed. “Pallis has always followed in his mother’s footsteps. She was the warrior of the family. We still tell stories of the things she did for us.” A slightly distant look crossed Ro’s face. “Before her, woman warriors were far less respected.”

“I should like to meet the queen,” Anhura put in, unsure if she was crossing a line. “She sounds like a remarkable woman.”

“She is,” Ro said, “and something tells me she’ll like you.”

Ro drew to a halt in front of an unassuming door, letting a nearby servant open it for them. Anhura took the opportunity to will her blush away before stepping into Ro’s rooms. She was surprised by how bare the room was, with nothing more than a simple sofa against one wall, and a pair of additional doors along the next. Then she turned, and there were the weapons. Hung lovingly against the free wall, glinting in the light of the lanterns, an array of swords and daggers and… was that a crossbow? It seemed far more primitive than the crossbows in the light, but the shape was recognizable. On a stand in the corner, what appeared to be ceremonial armour sat on a mannequin. Somehow, the room was entirely in character for Ro.

“Your rooms are lovely,” Anhura lied easily, smiling up at Ro.

“You don’t have to say that,” Ro said dismissively. “That’s very kind, but this is where I store my weapons. I’m not one for many personal effects.”

“I see,” Anhura nodded understandingly, trying to imagine a life without all her things. It seemed bizarre, at the very least. But she was saved from having to response by a quiet knock at the door.

“Your things, Lady Anhura,” a muffled voice came from outside.

Anhura hastened to open the door, revealing Elian, laden with all her luggage. He looked rather distressed. Anhura quickly reached out to take one of her smaller bags, depositing it in the corner of Ro’s main room, then stood aside while Elian lugged the remainder over. The slightly out-of-breath servant bowed once he’d completed the task, then waved before backing out the door. Anhura stared after him, at a loss.

“Elian is… known in this palace. He’s likely the only servant who isn’t afraid of the nobles.”

“They’re afraid?”

“No, no,” Ro rushed to say, seeming to notice the panic creeping into Anhura’s voice. “Not the way you’re thinking. The nobles here… we’re not like you. We stand above a society built around the military. We must convince the peasants that we are worthy of their respect. And when all our history is built on ideas of the great warriors who won peace through battle, we are all taught that showing kindness will only bring ruin. We are not cruel, I would not have you believe such a thing, but we cannot be seen as kind.”

Anhura stayed silent as she processed Ro’s words. This was the most she’d been told about the ways of these strange nobles, and to hear it laid out so plainly was more of a comfort than she could ever express. Every noble she’d met who held some sort of power, they all had that distinct coldness about them. And Adakias, the only one who had no men under his command, no one to desire respect from, he was the only one who didn’t bother putting up that facade. For the first time, Anhura felt that she understood her place in the land of the Dark. It was such a relief.

“My lady?”

Anhura jolted into the present to find Ro watching her closely, looking a little concerned.

“My apologies, I shouldn’t have drifted off.”

“These are your rooms now, you can drift as much as you’d like. But I have an errand to run, so if you’re alright with me taking my leave…”

“Oh, of course, I’d hate to keep you from your duties.”

“Oh, it’s no duty,” Ro explained, somewhat cryptically, and Anhura just nodded her understanding and stepped back toward the sofa.

“Then good luck, my lady.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Ro grinned as she bowed out, closing the door quietly behind her.

And with that, Anhura let out a heavy breath, slumped onto Ro’s sofa, and shut her eyes.

 

Anhura was yanked into awakeness by the sound of Ro’s door being unlocked, followed by hushed voices speaking of something she couldn’t quite make out. The moment she developed the awareness to realize that she wasn’t supposed to hear this, Anhura froze and closed her eyes. Concentrating, she did her very best to understand what the voices were saying.

“Hey, hey, the princess is staying with me, no--”

That had to be Ro. Then the voices overlapped, and Anhura couldn’t distinguish any words. Someone laughed, and some little part of Anhura pointed out that this interaction probably breached a fair few of the rules of propriety she’d been taught from childhood. Anhura, thoroughly uncomfortable with this realization, tried to shut her ears to whatever was going outside that door. She was moderately successful.

After a few more minutes of those warm voices speaking and occasionally laughing, quiet goodbyes were said and the door finally opened all the way. Anhura kept her eyes closed and feigned sleep the best she could, desperately hoping that she wouldn’t be found out. She listened as the door was shut, then-- nothing. It was only when the other door creaked, one on the opposite wall, that Anhura realized that Ro had crossed the room in flawless silence. That was a disconcerting thing to notice.

When Ro returned after a few long, sleepy minutes of not quite being awake, Anhura didn’t have to try too hard to pretend she was waking.

“Ro?”

“You’ve slept the afternoon away, Lady Anhura. If you don’t arise now, you’ll likely sleep away dinner too.”

Anhura blinked blearily at Ro as the warrior stood over her, arms folded. Ro looked remarkably happy, even with her usual calm. Anhura meant to comment something about how glad she was to attend dinner, but she opened her mouth and the words stuck in her throat.

“Anhura? Are you alright?”

“Would you do a favour for me?” That was not what Anhura wanted to say. That was immature, unprofessional, everything Anhur had worked against her whole life—

“Of course, my lady.”

Anhura raises her eyebrows at how quickly Ro agreed, but it had already been said. This was her chance.

“I have… in two days, I have a courtship meeting with Pallis. Each of us are bringing along chaperones, and I do not have anyone, as of right now.” Anhura bit back the urge to rapidly backpedal, swallowed her pride. “If it wouldn’t inconvenience you, I’d ask that you accompany me. You wouldn’t need to do more than sit nearby, it’s really more of a formality.”

“I’d be glad to, Anhura,” Ro said, and Anhura knew that she meant it. Anhura also knew better than to say something foolish, such as ‘really?’ and betray how much this meant to her. But Ro was an ally, and that allowed her just a little reprieve from the rules governing her every move.

“Thank you, Ro. I’ll be happy to have you there.”

“It’s no trouble, my lady.” Ro looked down at Anhura, considering. Then she held a hand out, palm up and inviting. “Now, dinner isn’t going to wait forever.”

Heaving a sigh of relief, Anhura grinned at Ro like she wanted to and took her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses for how long it took me to get this chapter up. I got sidetracked by another project, so this one got set aside for the time being. Oops. But anyways, I'm back and I'm hopefully going to be actually writing again! I made an outline and everything, which is frankly amazing for me, so I think I'll be better from now on.
> 
> This chapter is more than slightly shaped by all the classic literature I was forced to read during likely the most miserable English course I've ever taken. It was all Dunne and Swift and Milton, which means that my writing has gotten all weird and formal, which I'm not actually mad about for this specific fic. So that's something.
> 
> Up next: Pallis and Anhura go on their first Officially Sanctioned Courtship Meeting aka date.


	7. Anhura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anhura goes on her first date with Pallis. Things go about as well as can be expected.

“Alright, this is fine.  I’m going to be fine.” Anhura let out a deep breath, then opened her eyes.  She stood before the small mirror on Ro’s wall, far too high to be convenient.  Anhura had dragged the ottoman over to stand on in order to see her reflection. From the nose up, she looked just as she always did.  Sighing again, Anhura stepped down from the ottoman, easily maneuvering in the many layers of one of her more formal gowns. Today, she was meeting Pallis as his future wife, and that meant she had to prioritize appearances.  Instead of a politician, she had to be a demure princess. Pallis had already seen her lose her formality once; she wouldn’t allow him to see it again.

“Anhura?”  Ro knocked sharply on the door to their shared chambers.  “Prince Adakias says that your betrothed is ready for the meeting.”

“Thank you,” Anhura called back.  “I’ll be just a moment.” Anhura tried to steel herself for what was to come in the thirty seconds she allowed herself.  No matter which version of Pallis she saw– feared warrior or that glimpse of something else she’d seen on the first day– she’d maintain the composure she’d been taught all her life to wear like a second skin.  No matter if she wished she’d been given a different assignment, this was what her father wanted, and she understood his reasoning. Cooperate with the Dark, produce an heir, bring the Light’s power into the royal family.  She could even gain a little influence herself, if she could convince her _husband_ , the title distressed her–

“Anhura, we need to leave,” Ro called, the faintest suggestion of impatience creeping into her tone.

Seconds later, Anhura opened the door to find Ro looking down at her, eyebrows raised in question.  Anhura suspected that she knew exactly what Ro was asking; if Anhura had lost her nerve now that she faced this meeting with Pallis, but she didn’t dare answer.  She’d never forgive herself if she spoke her fears into existence.

“Shall we?” Ro asked.

“I suppose we must,” Anhura said dryly, placing her hand in the crook of Ro’s waiting arm.  “After all, my betrothed is ready for the meeting, and I’d better not keep him waiting.”

“Please, my lady,” Ro’s voice was carefully light with a displeasure Anhura had never heard from her.  “This meeting will be entirely cordial, and would be so even without the presence of the chaperones.”

No further insinuations that Pallis was a threat, that was what Ro meant.  Anhura nodded slowly, conceding the point. Only, it felt like such a relief to voice these fears now, before she had to stand before the man and treat him as she would any other suitor.

“I agree, Lady Letiro.”

Ro smiled tightly down at Anhura and began walking.  Anhura found comfort in the familiar click of Ro’s heels against the stone, and let herself recede into her practiced mask.  Ro led her through the halls in a path Anhura had never followed before, until they reached a small, nondescript door. A single guard opened it, and Ro ushered Anhura through the doorway into… a tiny room, no larger than Anhura’s closet back home.  Anhura paused, baffled.

“This way.”  Ro laid a hand on Anhura’s shoulder and gently steered her to another door on the other side of the room, one that Anhura hadn’t spotted.  Ro pushed the door open, and said something, probably soft and certainly clever, but Anhura was far from listening as she looked out into the… the sunny day.  Her steps faltered as she crossed the threshold into a massive room that nearly fooled her for a moment. The ceiling was coloured a brilliant blue, the dirt-covered ground strewn with plants, and a man-made creek ran along one wall.  Staring up at what had seemed like the sun for an embarrassingly long moment, Anhura decided that what she saw was the light of a lamp, reflected and directed until it shone down with that familiar intensity. It even felt warm on her skin.

“This is incredible,” Anhura said softly, and she didn’t bother hiding her fascination.

“I assume Prince Pallis arranged this,” Ro put in, and Anhura rapidly remembered the woman standing beside her.

“I assume so,” Anhura murmured, still caught up in the sight.  It didn’t look much like home, but it felt so familiar that Anhura was struck by appreciation for this place.

“Presenting my lord Pallis, accompanied by his chaperone!”

Ro and Anhura turned at the herald’s self-important bellow, and there stood Pallis and at his side, Adakias.  The latter raised a hand in greeting, smiling, while the former nodded stiffly. Anhura quickly pulled her hand from the crook of Ro’s arm and curtseyed as the two princes began walking over to her.  Taking the cue, Ro took a quiet step back.

“My lords, how good it is to see you.”

“It is good to see you as well, my lady,” Pallis commented, seeming oddly distracted.

“Lovely as ever,” Adakias added, the lightness of his voice taking any serious intent out of the compliment.  Anhura was relieved that at least _someone_ present could make light of the scenario.

“If you would, my lady,” Pallis asked as he moved forward to offer Anhura his arm.  “I’d hoped to show you around our aviary.”

“You have birds here?”  Anhura was momentarily distracted from the stress of this event, and she craned her neck back to look upward as she took Pallis’ arm.

“We do,” Pallis said softly, pointing up to the top of a sapling in a pot nearby.  “Look just there, a yellow-tailed crosser.”

The bird was indeed perched on a slim branch near the top of the tree.  Anhura froze as she watched it, saw how its head turned back and forth in the distinctive twitchy motion of birds.  It was a delightful diversion from her duty here in the Dark.

“Shall we take a walk?” Pallis offered.  “There is much here I believe you’ll enjoy.”

“Certainly, my lord.”

Pallis stepped off, leading Anhura down a nearby trail.  His stride was uncomfortably long, and he seemed stiff at her side, but Anhura ignored her suitor’s peculiarities and played the part she knew so intimately.

“So, Prince Pallis, would you care to tell me a little about this aviary?  It is truly fascinating.”

“Of course.  It is… it is considered one of the greatest feats of the Dark, beside our military.”  Pallis paused, eyes flickering off to the side, away from Anhura. “The architects of the palace merely left this room empty, with no purpose, but far more recently, it was designed as an aviary.  It is meant to replicate the sunshine that we do not get, along with the plant and animal life that cannot flourish in a land without sun. It took much effort to truly replicate the effects of the sun.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Anhura said, and she meant it.  Though it would have been far more interesting if Pallis could avoid sounding like a man reading a particularly dull book as he spoke.  If Anhura had allowed herself, she would have sighed.

“I agree,” Pallis said in that distinctive tone used by those who simply wish to fill the silence.  Then he seemingly ran out of things to say, and quietly walked along at Anhura’s side, radiating discomfort.  Anhura tried to convince herself that she was grateful that Pallis was as unsettled as she, but she would very much have preferred if her suitor was better at making conversation.

“Pallis,” Adakias said softly from behind them, and Anhura looked over her shoulder on reflex.  Adakias and Ro walked a respectful distance away, and while Ro’s calmness was entirely unsurprising, Adakias’ quiet demeanor was uncharacteristic.  “What do you think of this place?”

Anhura turned to Pallis, watching closely as his expression flickered rapidly, the icy formality fading away, just for a moment.  He wouldn’t look at her when he finally responded.

“It reminds me of the stories we used to tell.  As… as children. Stories of things we knew weren’t real, but we hoped they were anyways.”

“And someone must have felt the same, because they built all this,” Anhura said tentatively, hoping Pallis wouldn’t darken back to the way he’d been.  At least not because of her. And Pallis didn’t say anything, but he looked down at her with something just a little softer in his eyes. It wasn’t affection, or even anything close to friendliness, but it had Anhura wondering if maybe, just maybe, she could learn to cooperate with this man.

“My apologies,” Pallis said roughly, and Anhura instinctively pulled away from the harshness in his voice.  Out of the corner of Anhura’s eye, she saw him flinch in response. “It is improper of me to act in such a way.”  And with that, he let his arm drop to cue Anhura to let go. While Anhura took a careful step away, Pallis’ shoulders stiffened and he drew himself up into the emotionless soldier he so often became.

“Lady Anhura, would you care to join me?”  Adakias had quietly stepped closer, and was holding his arm out invitingly.  “There’s much more of the aviary you have yet to see.”

“My lord,” Anhura ensured her voice was as deferential as she could make it.  The rules of her position dictated such a tone. A lady of the light was not meant to speak to her suitor with anything less than the utmost respect.  “Would you allow me to walk with your brother for a while?”

“You needn’t ask permission from me, my lady,” Pallis countered, but the air of danger surrounding him made Anhura want to contradict him.

“Then we shall,” Anhura told Adakias, feeling somewhat rebellious.  Her courting customs may have been entirely of her own invention, but this seemed to be at odds to their purpose.  Taking off with the suitor’s brother and leaving the man himself behind wasn’t right. Still, she was entirely unwilling to stay at Pallis’ side given the opportunity to flee.  The elder prince looked to be slightly unstable at the moment. Anhura laid her hand on Adakias’ arm and let him lead her further into the aviary. Anhura suspected that Adakias was waiting until they were certainly out of earshot of Pallis and Ro before speaking.

“Well, this is going well.”

Anhura didn’t bother trying to keep up a pretense of formality, not when Adakias’ voice was so obviously laced through with sarcasm.

“I’m not purposefully making things difficult between us,” Anhura sighed, carefully keeping her eyes directed forward.  If someone were to see them, nothing in her demeanor would indicate that their conversation was more personal than it should be between two nobles who barely knew each other.

“I know, I know,” Adakias was quick to reassure her.  “Pallis, himself, is difficult.”

Anhura thought of Ro’s quiet disapproval immediately.  The taller woman didn’t enjoy hearing Anhura’s comments on Pallis’ reputation, and Anhura had to admit that the man hadn’t been outright cruel to her.

“Adakias?  I know I have no right to ask this of you, but the comments on my future husband’s faults are disheartening.  I’d ask that I hear no more of them from you.”

“Apologies,” Adakias said, and sounded like he meant it.  “You’ve told me this before, and I have yet to learn.”

Anhura nodded her thanks, and let her attention drift to their surroundings.  With Pallis far away, she realized with a little regret, she finally felt comfortable turning her focus from her companion to the wonderful room around her.  By now, she and Adakias stood by the creek, and Anhura was astonished to notice a tortoise slowly making its way along the bank. She hadn’t expected to see an animal from the Light in an aviary of the Dark.

“Where did you get a tortoise?”

“We found it just outside the city limits years ago.  Well, a child did. It’s been there for generations.”

“Does it have a name?”  Anhura let herself pull against Adakias slightly as she leaned out over the creek.  He held her steady with ease .

“Marsden.  He’s a little like a palace pet.  He’s been here for so long.”

Anhura felt a bizarre compulsion to crouch and pet the tortoise like she would her old tomcat back home.  She bit back the urge, instead turning away and looking up to the birds alit upon the wooden beams on the ceiling.

“What can you tell me about the birds here?”  Anhura didn’t particularly feel like discussing the disappointing prospects of her upcoming marriage, so she quickly grasped at the nearest topic.  “I don’t recognize any from the Light.”

“I don’t know much about them,” Adakias said, almost ruefully.  “The aviary was never included in our lessons as children. Only the keepers are at all familiar with them.  I’ve been told that they all have names.”

“How would one tell them apart?”

“Reportedly, the keepers put little bands on them, like bracelets.”

Anhura had no response to that.  She hadn’t been in the Dark for long, but she already knew of Adakias’ proclivity for making up answers he didn’t know.  Instead, she turned in what she hoped was the direction they’d come from.

“Should I not return to my betrothed?  After all, that is the purpose of this excursion.  And I must thank Pallis for thinking to bring me here.”

“You like this place?”  Adakias’ voice had picked up an odd tilt.

“It is incredible, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I’m glad,” Adakias said softly, then he began leading Anhura back along the path they’d taken.  “Pallis will be happy to hear that.”

The childish part of Anhura wanted to make some petty remark about the unlikeliness that Pallis would show any emotion whatsoever, but such ideas were foolish.  And she had seen a little softness from the man when Adakias had prompted it. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t for her. “I’m sure,” Anhura said instead.  Then she kept quiet as she and Adakias walked back to where they’d left Pallis.

“Lady Letiro!”

Anhura froze as Pallis’ harsh voice rang through the room, forcing Adakias to a halt as she planted herself immovable on the floor.  She listened carefully for whatever else the elder prince had to say, hoping that it would reveal more reasoning behind his behaviour, infinitely reassured by the fact that Adakias was doing the same.  They were rewarded by the sound of Ro’s hushed voice, no less vitriolic for its softness.

“Do you think, even for a moment, that raising your voice will make Anhura less afraid of you?  Time is running out, Pallis! Do you want to be the man whose wife fears him?”

“You know I don’t,” Pallis said, the fight drained from his voice.  “It’s not her fault.”

“Then do better, my prince,” Ro snapped, even as the practiced title fell from her tongue.

“Anhura!”  Anhura jumped as Adakias hissed her name.  “What should we do?”

Anhura rapidly considered her options; fleeing or attempting to continue her meeting with Pallis.  With Adakias by her side, she trusted that she’d be safe even if the temper Pallis obviously hadn’t left behind was turned on her.  She hesitated a moment longer, thinking.

“Fascinating, my prince,” Anhura said loudly, ensuring her voice carried.  The moment she spoke, whatever Ro had been saying was abruptly cut off. “What else can you tell me about the history of the aviary?”

“ _Well_ ,” Adakias began, grinning at Anhura with just a little tension in his expression.  “It was built in the Autumn of 809, assembled by a team of designers who were repurposed from the Royal Gardens.  The previous year, the drought had decimated our grounds, and Queen Nidria III wanted something built to raise the morale.  And so the aviary came about. Then the designers got carried away and started collecting local animals, and it faltered for a while, maybe… forty years ago.  We had to release some of the animals that weren’t getting along.”

By then, Pallis and Ro had come back into view, only slightly screened by the foliage.  They were standing carefully apart, and the argument they’d just had hung heavy in the air.  But when Pallis spotted Anhura, he smiled. He actually smiled, though it seemed to fit oddly on his face.

“Welcome back, my lady,” Ro said, smirking just a little crookedly.  “I hope you enjoyed your excursion into the aviary.”

“I did, thank you,” Anhura said honestly.  “I’m very grateful to Pallis for bringing me here.”

“It was Adakias’ idea,” Pallis put in, voice low and flat.  “Any thanks should go to him.”

“I see.”

Conversation ground to a halt, and the air was filled with the quiet ambience of the animals in the aviary.  Anhura forced herself not to look away from Pallis, nor to seek reassurance in Ro or Adakias.

“My lady?”  This time, Pallis sounded uncertain.  It made him more human, and far less intimidating as he stepped nearer and held out his arm.  “Would you join me?”

“May the second be fairer than the first,” Anhura observed mildly, but reached out to take Pallis’ arm.  And by the way Pallis’ expression soured slightly but he didn’t comment, it seemed that things were already going better.

“I was hoping to show you the river.”

Anhura glanced back at Adakias, who shook his head slightly.

“I’d love to see it, Pallis.”

“Good,” Pallis said definitively, and began leading Anhura through the man-made forest.  Ro and Adakias trailed along behind, and Anhura started to feel guilty for inviting Ro along to this mess.

“I’d like to apologize for my earlier behaviour,” Pallis said, out of nowhere.  Anhura glanced his way to find his eyes fixed straight ahead. “This entire affair is foreign to me.  I… I could have done better.”

“I see.”  Anhura took her time replying.  She deserved whatever respect her husband-to-be could muster, but she certainly wasn’t going to beg for it.  Reassured that the man himself was harmless, if intimidating and occasionally unpleasant, she wouldn’t hesitate in keeping him waiting.  “Then I suppose we should try this again.”

“Thank you, Anhura.”

Her name sounded odd coming from Pallis, but she pushed the strangeness aside.  This could work if she forced herself to cooperate. Anhura took a deep breath.

“Alright, Pallis.  Tell me about yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly this was incredibly fun to write. I know that some of it was just people making awkward small talk but that's what their dynamic is like right now. Can't have fun dramatic interesting conversations if we don't have tortoise talk first.
> 
> Also this is super weird for me because I already know my Anhura and my Pallis super well bc i've written them before, but my Adakias is completely knew to me. so basically as my hypothetical reader grows more familiar with adakias, i do too.
> 
> Up next: Anhura updates her family back home on what's been going on.


	8. Writing Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anhura updates her friends and family back home on the goings on of the Dark.

Dear Father, Jem, and Lera–

I hope this letter finds you in high spirits and good health. The busyness of becoming settled in the Dark has delayed my correspondence far more than I’d intended, and thus I must apologize for the wait.

The crops we sent were distributed immediately, and some seeds were saved to plant in indoor gardens, while the remainder were set aside in the event of the drought drawing to an end. King Evyr appears to be glad of both the alliance and my presence, though I have only spoken with him thrice. My courtship with Prince Pallis is moving ahead smoothly, and I expect we will marry within the space of two months.

I find that the lack of sun is somewhat draining, given that I have not seen more than a dull glow from the East before the morning clouds roll in. Lera, I hope you have continued your studies with as much dedication as before I left. Jem, I would ask you to refrain from your usual shenanigans, but I know it would be fruitless. And Father, you have my thanks for this opportunity in the Dark.

Your beloved sister and daughter,  
Anhura

~

Dear Sana–

I must begin by assuring you that I am settled and safe in the Dark, despite all myths stating that such a thing is not possible. The people here are kinder than I’d expected, and for the most part seem to be quite similar to ourselves. I’ve found allies here; the woman warrior Lady Letiro and Prince Adakias both seem trustworthy. I am currently boarding with Letiro, which has given me much knowledge about the ways of women here. Instead of gowns, I have only seen her wear men’s trousers, which she claims make fighting easier. I explained that wearing trousers would make it much more difficult to find a husband, to which she laughed at me extensively.

I’m sure you must be interested in hearing about my betrothed, the good Prince Pallis. He stands almost a head taller than me, and I suppose that one could call him handsome. But he carries himself as a warrior does, and not like the knights back home. I feared him when I first met him, and I will admit that I sometimes fear him still.

I recently embarked upon the first of three courtship meetings with Pallis, and I would say it went questionably. I learned little about my betrothed, and even required Adakias’ assistance to carry on a cordial conversation with him. Adakias has been quite helpful, and even recommended the location for our meeting; the Dark’s aviary.

Most of all, I miss you and my family. It feels foolish to admit this in a letter, but I did not think I could feel as alone as I do now. Ro, my host, is possibly the closest thing I have to a friend here, but she, through no fault of her own, lacks the familiarity of home. Things are different here, and I am an outsider no matter what I do. The streets are deathly silent, when compared with the songs of home. I try to be hopeful about my marriage, but I fear that I will never reach anything beyond tentative acquaintanceship with Pallis. Adakias has tried to reassure me that his brother is more than his reputation, but the man himself is doing little to prove this.

I apologize for heaping all my troubles on you. Please know that I’d be glad if you were to do the same. I miss you dearly.

Anhura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw a novel do something kinda like this a while ago and I thought it was neat to show the contrast between the way Anhura talks to her father and the way she talks to her bff.


	9. Adakias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anhura goes on an excursion to walk among the people of the Dark. Adakias is shoehorned into joining her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a while. Sorry about that, but school really got going and I got momentarily sidetracked by another project, which is fortunately complete now!
> 
> I also want to say a huge thank you to endlessuphillclimb and gibbsith for the lovely comments! It really makes my day to see the little ao3 comment emails popping up! (and it makes me super motivated to write more)

“...Adakias?   _Adakias!_ ”

A sharp elbow was driven into Adakias’ side and he poured all his effort into maintaining his composure as his brother yanked him back into reality.  He blinked a few times and Anhura blurred into focus before him, unfairly lovely and smiling faintly at him. It took a second longer to realize what he was meant to do, and he cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly when he did.

“Please, my lady, if you would repeat yourself.  I apologize, but I’m afraid I’d become lost in thought.”  This certainly wasn’t the first time Adakias had drifted off at an inopportune time, but his usual apology for the daydreaming was always uncomfortable.

“No need to apologize,” Anhura said, easily waving away his guilt.  “I’d simply wondered if you had anything to say on the topic of my arrival here.”  When Adakias held his tongue and tried to convey just how lost he was without having to admit it out loud, Anhura’s smile grew slightly wider.  “We were discussing public opinion of the royal family here.”

“Oh, I see,” Adakias manages, desperately trying to assemble his thoughts.  Behind Anhura, Adakias’ father made that distinctive face that means he’s exasperated but is too dignified to show it.  “I think… that the people will grow used to your presence here, if you only give them the time to see you. And if you do, they will see that you are… uh, good for the kingdom.”

“Thank you, Adakias,” Anhura said lightly, somehow conveying amusement without breaking her composure.  “I hope so.”

“Perhaps, my lady, you could take the time before our next meeting to spend some time among the people.”  Pallis locked eyes with Adakias and very nearly smiled. A very familiar sort of dread crept into the pit of Adakias’ stomach.  “I wonder if Adakias would allow you to accompany him on his next tour of the city.”

This wasn’t what Adakias wanted, not in the slightest.  Not that the princess wasn’t good company, quite the opposite.  A handful servants had already seen Adakias with her, acting perhaps a little closer than what propriety dictated.  Adakias didn’t regret his actions, but if word got out that he and the princess had left Pallis when the betrothed couple was meant to be socializing, rumours would abound.

“But my lord,” Adakias said politely, forcing the words past gritted teeth, “would it not be logical for Anhura to travel out with the man she intends to marry?”

“Certainly,” Pallis retorted with the calm assurance of one who knows they’ve won.  “But we all know that your reputation is far more conducive to what the lady’s public image should be.”

Adakias narrowed his eyes at Pallis, completely ignoring the overt glare he was receiving from his father.  He was tempted to make some petty comment about Pallis not wanting to spend time with the princess, but that could have actual political repercussions.  Adakias was annoyed, he by no means wanted to ruin the lives of so many of his subjects by disrupting the alliance.

“A good point,” Adakias said in the most saccharine tone he could muster.  “Very logical, brother.”

Adakias looked to Anhura to find the princess watching Pallis with curiosity flickering rapidly in her eyes.  She was far too smart to be fooled by Pallis’ odd behaviour for much longer, that Adakias knew. Sooner or later, she would ask Pallis why he continually pushed her away, and Adakias wanted to be present when it happened.  His brother had never fully mastered the art of handling confrontation without letting his temper take over.

“Excellent,” the king put in, and all three of them jumped.  “I’m sure you two will have a wonderful time, Adakias.”

“Of course,” Adakias said.  “It’ll be wonderful.”

Adakias had the sneaking suspicion that it was not going to be the slightest bit wonderful.

~

Adakias would regret getting dragged into this whole affair even more so when the eternally punctual princess announced her presence at his suite at what had to be a disgustingly early hour.  Well, Adakias’ manservant announced her presence, and a quick glance at the clock revealed that it was about nine.

“Lord Adakias, the princess would like to remind you that she had asked to meet you at half-past eight at the western gate,” and Adakias was rudely startled from his usual morning state of half-dazed by his manservant’s voice, slightly muffled by his bedroom door.  “And the princess would like to emphasize that you had _agreed_.”  Nav leaned into the word just enough that the smugness was evident.  He was constantly pestering Adakias to get up earlier, show more composure in the mornings, to be all the things the princess exemplified.  Adakias would wager anything that Nav was having a wonderful time with this.

“Listen, Nav, I’ll be out in a minute,” Adakias called in what he deemed an admirably articulate manner.  “You can tell the princess that.”

“The princess would like you to know that she highly doubts that you’ll be out in a minute, and has thus decided to go to the western gate to find some entertainment while she waits.”

Adakias groaned as he pushed himself upright, wishing that he hadn’t planned this for quite an early hour.  “Thanks, princess,” he called, sarcasm dripping from his sleep-rough voice.

“Anytime, my lord,” was called back, Anhura’s calm voice muffled by the two doors between them.

Adakias let out a heavy sigh as he fell backward onto his bed.

“Damn."

~

It was nearly half-past nine by the time Adakias had gotten himself up, dressed in his ceremonial uniform, and to the western gate.  It had taken him four attempts to get his eyepaint as neat as he wanted it, each more frustrated than the previous. The princess had better appreciate his efforts, he grumbled.

But it seemed that Anhura was taking an entirely different approach to meeting with some of the subjects.  When Adakias happened upon her, perched gracefully on a bench, she stood out from the people of the Dark in a way she hadn’t before.  In fact, it was borderline scandalous how little clothing she wore, multicoloured fabric wrapped around her torso and covering none of her shoulders and arms.  The bright colours were vivid against her skin, and she looked at ease dressed like this, freer somehow. It made her beauty even more striking. Adakias wondered, a little hysterically, if he was truly meant to look her in the eye while she was dressed so... sparsely.

“My lady, how nice to see you,” Adakias said tentatively, glancing around to see if any of the palace staff had noticed what the princess was wearing.  He was reassured to find that most everyone seemed appropriately shocked by her attire. “I must apologize for keeping you waiting.”

“I must admit that I am not surprised by the wait,” Anhura commented mildly, but Adakias still felt chastised.  “I have simply been speaking with your guards.”

Adakias’ guards, he noticed, looked rather flustered.  Anhura tended to do that to people.

“I wish I could have been present for such a thing,” Adakias said, finally composed enough to look Anhura in the eye.

“You wouldn’t if you’d known what we were speaking of,” Anhura pointed out in a tone that suggested the kind of mischief a princess should not partake in.  “I’ve always thought that guards and servants are a noble’s greatest weakness. They know all kinds of things.”

“Thank you very much, Anhura,” Adakias tried to sound as disapproving as he could, but he was certainly glad the princess trusted him enough to make comments like that.  “Shall we visit the people?”

“Certainly.”  Anhura took his offered arm, and Adakias fought not to pull away as her bare arm brushed against his sleeve.  “May I ask, my lord… I appear to be drawing more attention than usual this morning. I know I’ve dressed less formally than usual, will that be a problem?”

Adakias held off on answering until they’d safely left the castle, and there were fewer interested ears listening in.  Besides the guards, of course, and Adakias trusted them not to spill his secrets, or at least not to anyone beyond Anhura.

“I mean no offense, Anhura, but you are wearing a fair bit less clothing than most do in the Dark.  Displaying uncovered arms is… unusual.”

“I see.  Should I return to my rooms and put on something else?”  For only the second time in weeks, the princess appeared anything less than effortlessly composed.  It was odd, seeing her wear her emotions this openly. “I’d hate to offend.”

“No, no, no one will be offended.  This–” Adakias gestured vaguely at Anhura’s outfit “–is normal in the Light?”

“For peasants, yes.  When nobles usually visit the commoners, we dress down to avoid parading our wealth before them.  And wearing anything heavier than this while doing labour could cause heat damage, back home. It is drastically colder here.”

“Then you should not be expected to change your dress just to match with our ways.”  Adakias felt his notorious family temper rising like bile in his throat. Doubt sounded wrong on the princess.

“This isn’t about what should be, Adakias,” Anhura said, restrained frustration lending her voice a sharp edge.  “The Dark will be my home, and I will do what I must to ensure the treaty remains in place.”

“No one of right mind would criticize you for dressing like a foreigner, you _are_ a foreigner, why would they?”

“I see how they stare, my prince,” and the fight had drained out of Anhura’s voice.  “A dress is a small sacrifice to ensure my place here.”

But this wasn’t about a dress, not anymore, and Adakias was feeling more than a little out of his depth.  But Anhura sounded hurt, and he wasn’t going to stand for that.

“Would you be more comfortable if I swore that I will take your side?  If anyone critiques your… dress, then I will support you.”

“And I imagine nothing I say will prevent you from doing so?”  And despite the world-weary tone of Anhura’s voice, Adakias suspected that she wasn’t unhappy.

“Of course not, my lady.  It is an offer, nothing more.”

That was the right thing to say.  Adakias knew it, even before Anhura spoke up.

“Then I will accept your offer, my lord.”

Adakias performed an awkward bow, considering the fact that Anhura was still standing at his elbow.  Clearly humouring him, Anhura curtseyed far more gracefully.

“Shall we?” Anhura asked, taking the lead to save Adakias.

“Certainly,” Adakias said quickly, trying to regain the regal air he’d been taught to hold around the people.  Just because he didn’t need to maintain the same sternness demanded of his brother didn’t mean he could let himself act as lost as he currently felt.  “I’m sure the people will love you."

~

He was only half right.  The people did, in fact, love Anhura, even with her unusual style of dress.  She was showered with compliments everywhere they went, the commoners fascinated by this Lady of the Light, so foreign to what they knew.  They complimented her beauty, her clothes, most everything about her appearance. And when she spoke, they nodded along understandingly, then returned their attention to Adakias before bowing and excusing themselves to whatever tasks they had to undertake.  It was truly peculiar.

“I feel like a curiosity,” Anhura mentioned softly between visits as she and Adakias walked down the main road, surrounded by their retinue.  “I will admit that I am yet unfamiliar with this land, but by the standards of the Light, this would be quite telling.”

“What would this allude to?” Adakias asked, keeping his voice equally low.  It wouldn’t do for any such disapproval to reach the ears of the people. He was no longer surprised that the princess was comfortable bringing this up with him.  He’d become a confidant to her, of sorts, over the past weeks. He knew that she was too smart to speak of such sensitive matters with just anyone, and he was grateful that she’d immediately understood that any difficulties between her and Pallis were to be kept within the royal family.  Thus, she’d spoken of the courtship with him before. But this, this was new territory. Perhaps, Adakias reasoned, it was that he was convenient, being so close in this moment.

“If the people do not listen to what I have to say while I am yet a foreign dignitary, they will hardly care once I am the wife of their crown prince, familiar and unsurprising,” Anhura explained evenly, not seeming overly distressed by this rather bleak statement.  From a distance, she could have been discussing nothing more serious than the weather.

“I’m sure you will not be stripped of power after the wedding,” Adakias offered, hoping it would be some measure of comfort to her.  Anhura was suited to politics, he knew. She’d been raised with the expectation of taking the throne one day, she must have been, as an eldest child.  And her words flowed quick and clever, charismatic but missing the falseness Adakias was accustomed to seeing in many of his father’s councilmen. And to hear her speak of her people; there was a deep-seated love in her voice that made it hard for Adakias to focus on the words rather than the speaker.

“Power is not granted by those at the top,” Anhura said, smiling faintly.  “If the soldiers under your family’s command decided not to follow you, what would you do?  You cannot maintain control if your people simply refuse to allow you. And I will be nothing more than a figurehead unless the people deem it fit to make me something more.”

“I… I really don’t know what to say to that,” Adakias admitted, and Anhura, gratifyingly, laughed.  “I know little of the practicalities of politics. But my father should be able to offer some advice in that respect.  My mother and Pallis, they were able to establish themselves as leaders by earning the respect of our military. Father, it’s said he was a little like you in his youth.  He married into the rule, rather than being born into it.”

“Thank you, Adakias,” Anhura said, and she seemed to mean it.  Then she made to speak but halted herself, looking askance at Adakias.  Before he could speak up, she steeled herself and continued. “I’ve heard quite a lot of the queen, but I’ve seen no trace of her.  Does she live in the palace?”

“Of course,” Adakias said, a little distracted as they walked up to a family waiting by the side of the road to watch the nobles go by.  A trio of children stood before two men, looking supremely disinterested in the royal procession. The smallest child kept trying to speak, only to be repeated shushed by one of the men, who was smiling politely at Adakias and Anhura as he tried to keep his family composed before the royalty.

“Hi!” Adakias said brightly, crouching in front of the kids.  They continued looking disinterested, though the tallest reached out a tiny hand to him.  Adakias shook her hand, careful to keep a straight face despite the overwhelming cuteness of the kids.  He subtly turned his attention to Anhura while he let his deeply-ingrained training take over and politely asked the girl her name.

“I’m glad to finally meet the famed lady of the Light,” the taller of the two men was saying smoothly, bowing to Anhura.  “She is just as lovely as we’ve been told.”

“Thank you,” Anhura said graciously, and her smile was a well-rehearsed demonstration of what she was expected to be.  “It is truly wonderful to walk among the people of the Dark for the first time. A nation is nothing more than its people.”

“Are you listening, Prince Adakias?”

Adakias’ attention rapidly returned to the impatient child standing before him.  His name was the clearest part of her question.

“Of course,” he lied on reflex, regretting it the moment the words slipped past his lips.

The girl placed her hands on her hips in an indignant manner that really shouldn’t have been aimed at royalty, if Adakias was to be honest with himself.  But coming from a child of no more than five summers, it was harmless. She was clearly waiting for a response, he realized, after a long moment of pondering the habit of children to entirely disregard the power of nobility.  And he didn’t know what he was meant to say.

“ _My_ favourite colour is yellow,” Anhura said to the girl, ever the saviour, and Adakias was unspeakably grateful.  “It reminds me of the sun.”

“Mine is dark green, like trees,” Adakias contributed, earning a measuring look from the girl.

“Red’s better,” she said, folding her arms and scowling at Adakias.  “But green and yellow are okay too.”

“I’m glad we’ve come to an agreement,” Adakias said solemnly, half-bowing from his kneeling position.

“Your clothes are pretty,” the girl said, attention already shifting back to Anhura.  “They’ve got lots of colours.”

“Thank you,” Anhura said graciously, curtseying.  The motion only drew more attention to swirling patterns ebbing and flowing across her skirt, so out of place against the dull background of the Dark.  His people simply favoured dimmer colours, Adakias knew, himself included, but he’d never noticed what a spotlight all the grey placed on a figure as vivid as Anhura.

“They’re quite different from the standard of the Dark,” the man Anhura had been speaking to offered, intelligent blue eyes fixed on Anhura.  “You’ve been causing quite a stir in the upper town, what with…” The man gestured loosely to his shoulders, alluding to all the skin Anhura was showing off.

A few paces disconnected from Anhura’s conversation, Adakias sighed.  He’d been doing particularly well ignoring the princess’ attire, up until this point.

“I hope I’m not causing a disturbance,” Anhura said, and Adakias could hear the hint of coolness in her voice.  He marvelled at her calm, even now. Still, he was prepared to offer his own voice in support if she appeared to want it.

“Oh, you are,” the second of the two men spoke up for the first time, a hint of laughter in his voice but total calm in his eyes.  “Begging your forgiveness, your highness, but the people of the Dark are hardly unaware of the state of our land. The arrival of a lady of the Light, fresh crops, and the promise of more to come?  You’ve been a rather welcome disturbance, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

It was remarkable, Adakias found.  Anhura looked truly taken aback by the man’s quiet words, though she hid it well.  It was only the time they’d spent together that allowed Adakias to see through the façade of total calm.  She had to take a deep breath before summoning speech to answer the man.

“Thank you, sir.  I’m glad you see things this way.  It brings me a great deal of hope to hear my arrival in the Dark framed in such a way.”

“I’m just pleased to see our rulers taking steps to ensure the continued wellness of the people,” the man said mildly, glancing toward Adakias.  “You, my lady, are the herald of many good things for us.”

“That is a great expectation to place on a single woman,” Adakias said, trying to keep things reasonable.  He knew that peasants often picked up the habit of placing far too much responsibility on the nobles for things such as drought, things no one can change.

“I’m flattered to take on this responsibility,” Anhura said instead, looking like she meant it, though who could tell?  “I am new to the Dark, but once I am settled in, I swear I will do everything in my power to combat the famine here. I cannot convince your crops to grow where they refuse, but I can provide food from the Light, I can share the knowledge of my people to help you thrive.  This is what I hope to accomplish with my position here.”

Anhura’s demeanor had turned queenly in the space of a few words, words delivered with an effortless calm that could only be called regal.  Adakias saw her standing among a people that adored her nearly as much as they trusted her, and it was beautiful. _She_ was beautiful, and Adakias really didn’t like the direction these particular thoughts were taking.  Time to move on, and quickly.

“My lady, it grows late, and I’m sure father would like to take dinner with us, to hear about our day,” Adakias knew his voice sounded small and ineloquent after Anhura’s speech.  It was odd, but he didn’t mind it much. As a second son, Adakias had never expected, nor desired, the throne. Such power wasn’t in his future, but it was in Anhura’s. Pallis would surely do his part to ensure Anhura was granted the influence she deserved.  The thought of Pallis was surprising; he hadn’t thought of his brother all day. Yet the reminder of the princess’ future husband was still unpleasant, despite all that Pallis meant to him. “And I fear you’ll find the nights cool here, my lady,” he said to Anhura, forcing his unruly thoughts back to the topic at hand.

“The prince is right, I suppose we must be leaving.  It was delightful speaking with you all, and I look forward to the chance to do so again.”  Anhura curtseyed, first to the men, then to the children. Adakias did so as well, berating himself for getting so lost in thought that he nearly forgot to do so.

“We are pleased to finally have met you, princess,” the quieter man said solemnly.  But the rest of his family was smiling, and Adakias wasn’t worried. This entire affair had gone far better than his first visit to the lower town.  Adakias was reasonably sure he’d blocked out most of it, but he recalled everyone seeming annoyed by him. In all fairness, he hadn’t had even a sliver of Anhura’s effortless grace.

“Shall we?” Adakias offered quietly, holding out his elbow to Anhura.  “We have quite a distance to walk.”

“Of course, my lord,” Anhura said, smiling up at him and taking his arm.  This time, Adakias didn’t even twitch as she brushed against his side. He felt proud for a handful of moments until he just felt pathetic instead.  He’d set the bar rather low on that one.

“So… what do you think of the people of Dark, now that you’ve walked among them?” Adakias asked, once they were safely out of earshot of the peasants.

“People are incredibly… uniform, I’ve found,” Anhura said after a moment of contemplation.  “Wherever they hail from, they are always driven by the same wants and needs. The Dark is not that dissimilar from the Light in this respect.  When I spoke to them, I was… I will admit I was surprised by how familiar they were.”

Adakias nodded slowly, taking in her words.  The space between them was muddled by the sound of boots crunching on gravel, the only evidence that they were guarded.

“Is this the way your people treat you?”

“Not quite,” Anhura said, amusement warming her voice.  “Though I did have to fight for the respect I receive there.  There are still those at home-- in the Light-- who wait eagerly for a male heir.  But our law dictates that the first child takes the throne, regardless of gender. The way in which I speak to the peasants is a necessity to ensure I keep their respect.”  Here, Anhura hesitated. “I feel that the Dark is more open than my homeland to women in power.”

“I cannot speak to the Light, but the people of the Dark have been… dragged, I’ll say, into respect for women rulers.  My mother is largely to thank for that.” Adakias suddenly remembered their conversation from earlier. “You mentioned wanting to meet her?”

“If you deem it appropriate, I’d be glad to.”

“Certainly, my lady,” Adakias said graciously, injecting perhaps a little too much melodrama into his voice as he swept a hand out in a wide arc.  He wasn’t entirely sure why he did that, but he spotted Anhura’s smile out of the corner of his eye, so it had to be a success. Then he noticed the sudden shudder that ran through Anhura before she could suppress it.

“Are you alright?"

“Of course,” Anhura said politely, but her tone said to leave the point alone.  Unfortunately, Adakias wasn’t the kind of leave such things.

“Because I don’t mean to critique your peoples’ practices, but you’re a little… underdressed for our climate,” Adakias pointed out as tactfully as he could.

“I’ll have to have more clothing commissioned,” Anhura said, ever a creature of logic.  “A wardrobe better suited this environment is crucial.”

“All valid points,” Adakias began, knowing he was hurtling toward a bad decision but entirely unable to keep his mouth shut.  “But that plan won’t exactly help you right now. If you’d like, you could wear my jacket.”

“Propriety, my lord,” Anhura commented lightly, but her voice was cooler than before.   “We wouldn’t want the people getting the wrong idea.”

There was something about that very reasonable explanation that settled a roiling, twisting kind of discomfort in the pit of Adakias’ stomach.  He decided, quite maturely, to ignore it.

“I swear that this will not interfere with your courtship with Pallis.  He’s not the kind to grow jealous, certainly not of me, and the people will surely not mind.”

Anhura was quiet, uncharacteristically speechless, but she continued walking along at Adakias’ side.  In fact, she was silent long enough that Adakias looked to her, concerned.

“My lady?”

“I’m grateful to accept your offer, Adakias,” she said softly, stepping away from him.

Adakias found himself feeling rather unsteady as he slipped out of his outer coat, leaving a simple white shirt underneath.  He was slightly too cold without the coat, but he knew it would be foolish to mention that now. Anhura’s skin was ridden with the gooseflesh she was ignoring; she needed it far more.  Adakias was very careful not to allow his hands to linger as he helped Anhura into his coat.

“Is that better?”

“Yes, thank you very much,” Anhura said politely, dwarfed by Adakias’ coat.  The hem reached her knees and the sleeves concealed her hands entirely, but some of her colourful clothing peeked out underneath.  Somehow, she still looked perfectly dignified. The look was also remarkably endearing, which Adakias wouldn’t be saying out loud.

“I think it’s a little big,” he said instead, folding his arms and trying not to look cold.

“You’re not exactly a giant,” Anhura retorted, then looked shocked that she’d spoken so boldly.

Adakias was, frankly, delighted.  “And you stand no taller than my shoulder.”  This was a lie, but Adakias thoroughly enjoyed the insincere annoyance on Anhura’s face.

“Rude, my prince,” she said, affecting an air of haughty offense, but visibly fighting down a smile.

“We all must have our flaws,” Adakias said sagely, shrugging.

“I suppose we must,” Anhura said, some of the amusement fading from her voice, replaced by her usual level-headedness.  Then she said nothing at all, and in her silence, Adakias was abruptly reminded of the fact that they were not alone. But the guards hovered a respectful distance away, not overly concerned on the main street, among the lamps placed every ten paces.  Adakias considered this a privacy, of sorts.

“How are you feeling about your… place here?”

“I will admit that most of my unease stemmed from the reputation of the nobles here, but knowing that the people are so familiar is remarkably comforting.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Adakias said, reaching out tentatively to lay a hand on Anhura’s shoulder.  She glanced at him, inquisitive, and he quickly removed his hand. She laughed lightly, and the awkwardness he’d just felt was suddenly more than worth it, just to see her so comfortable at his side.

They continued walking, and this time, the silence felt easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have no idea how many times I wanted to write Adakias finger-gunning his way out of awkward situations because that is exactly what he'd be doing every time he speaks with Anhura, but guns aren't invented and thus finger guns aren't invented yet so I can't, tragically.
> 
> Up next: Anhura and Pallis go on date number two.


	10. Pallis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pallis takes Anhura on their second meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen..... I Know. English papers have to be written before fic, unfortunately. And with (both of my) term papers looming, the next chapter will likely be a long time coming. Sorry.

The very moment the princess of the Light arrived in the Dark, Pallis had known he was doomed. Some little part of him had been holding out the hope that his future wife would be truly horrid, bad enough that the marriage would be called off. Perhaps, if she was awful enough, a way could be found to maintain the treaty without any marriage at all. This particular hope died within the first day. It could have been any number of things, from her effortless grace and kindness, to the unbridled terror shining in her eyes at the mere thought of sharing Pallis’ chambers. It had stung in a way Pallis should have been accustomed to, but hurt nonetheless. The princess was undeniably lovely, and Pallis was finding it increasingly difficult not to allow his usual coolness to fade around her.

And thus, whenever Pallis was in Anhura’s presence, he was torn between receding behind the mask that had served him so well his entire life and treating her with the warmth she deserved from the man she was to marry. Contrary to what the disapproving looks he received from his family, Pallis was acutely aware that Anhura was uncomfortable around him. And he hated it.

With his second official meeting with the princess looming dangerously close, Pallis made the decision to do this one right. He still shuddered to think of how poorly he’d conducted himself in the aviary, allowing himself to act with a level of immaturity he thought he’d left behind years ago. No matter Pallis’ personal feelings, he would not disrespect the lady again. This meeting would be perfectly tailored to what she wanted, and he’d behave as any good suitor should. 

That led Pallis to his first roadblock with his brilliant plan. In the princess’ time in the Dark, she’d spent a bare minimum of time with Pallis, not that he particularly minded, what with the dense discomfort hanging in the air between them, hinting of the dreaded marriage to come. Because of this, Pallis wasn’t overly knowledgeable on what Anhura actually liked to do, beyond verbally outmaneuvering him at every turn. Helpless, he turned to one of the only people he knew the princess spent time with.

“My prince, how unusual it is to see you in the Eastern ground,” Ro said evenly, slowly lowering returning her throwing knives to the numerous sheathes lining her belt. There were two empty places at her waist, and Pallis glanced across the arena to avoid having to speak just yet. The missing knives were each embedded in an eye of the training dummy twenty paces away. He allowed himself to raise impressed eyebrows at the accuracy, even if it wasn’t the most practical tactic.

“I can sense your disapproval from here, Pallis,” Ro went on, the formality dropping from her voice as she defended her hobby. “There is nothing wrong with knife training.”

“It’s utterly useless in combat, you and I both know that.” Out of habit, Pallis relaxed his posture ever so slightly. There was no need for such rigidity with Ro.

“Perhaps the way you do it, it is,” Ro retorted easily, with none of the respect a crown prince deserved. It was one of Pallis’ favourite things about her.

“That isn’t why I’m here,” Pallis said quickly, before Ro could dig any deeper into his admittedly questionable knife-throwing skills. “Another of my meetings with Anhura approaches.”

“I know,” Ro said. “Anhura has told me that it’s been long enough since the first.”

“I need your help,” Pallis said, getting it over with before he could lose his nerve. “I want to do this right.”

“You sound like a warrior walking to his doom,” Ro commented, a hint of laughter in her voice. “Anhura is kind and good, you could hardly ask for a better wife.” Ro paused, considering her words. “Well, you could.”

“I need to know what she likes to do,” Pallis cut off both Ro’s words and the dangerous path of his own treacherous thoughts. “I won’t rely on Adakias again to arrange the meeting.”

“Yet you’ve come to beg me for help.”

“Advice, only,” Pallis said, turning away to keep the desperation on his face to himself. He’d never been able to truly mask his emotions around Ro. One of the consequences of growing up alongside her, he supposed. “I may not ever be the perfect husband”—he choked on the word—“but Anhura deserves to be at ease around me.”

“That’s all we’ve ever asked of you, Pallis,” Ro’s voice has turned soft, reassuring. “You know that, don’t you? Just to be kind, nothing more.”

“It feels foolish to be afraid,” Pallis admitted, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the wall before him. In his youth, he’d have gone to Ro, enjoyed the comfort of her lanky arm slung around his shoulders as she pulled him against her side. When he’d overheard the adults speak of marriage, he’d thought of the tall girl with black hair cut short to keep it from her face. What could be better than having a dear friend by your side for the rest of your life? Pallis envied those abandoned, childish wonderings. “This is what is asked of all nobles.”

“Your father would not ask this of you lightly,” Ro told him, cutting to the frustration at the heart of his worries. “If there was any other choice, he would have taken it.”

“I know, I just… I wish I could fulfill the expectations she has of me.”

“Anhura will not be let down to take you as her husband. You are a good man, Pallis.”

“And yet she fears me still.”

“Then we had better find a way to change that,” Ro said, like it was the most obvious thing. “And for your meeting? The lady is a great lover of music. Surely you can find something to do with that.”

“My thanks, Ro,” Pallis said, already weaving together a plan and incredibly relieved. “Invaluable, as always.”

“I know.” Ro smirked at him, her hand slowly returning to her belt and the knives there. Her voice was absent, telling Pallis that her mind had returned to her practice. This was his cue to leave.

Pallis fled before he could accidentally step between Ro and her next target.

~

Pallis’ heart pounded rapidly in his chest as he stood outside Anhura’s chamber door. It was, in fact, Ro’s door as well, despite the fact that Anhura had relocated into chambers of her own weeks ago. The princess seemed to take comfort in Ro’s presence, which Pallis could understand. He certainly wouldn’t begrudge a little time with his oldest friend. Then he thought about why he’d appreciate Ro’s level-headedness right now, and the panic returned in full force.

“I ask for your patience, my prince, the lady is still getting ready,” Ro called from the chambers, and Pallis, a little illogically, relaxed at the sound of her voice.

“If you would be so kind to tell the lady that she may take as long as she needs,” Pallis replied, pitching his voice to carry through the door. Then he glanced at Adakias, who stood quietly at his side, letting his expression display a little of his uncertainty. In return, Adakias nodded approvingly and made an odd gesture with his thumbs pointed up and fingers curled into a fist. Pallis rolled his eyes after confirming that there were no palace staff in their immediate vicinity. The pair of them snapped back into their formalities the moment the door before them began to open.

Anhura stood resplendent in a long gown made from the vivid fabrics she favoured, elaborate gold embroidery shining from a background of rich wine red. Most noticeably, gold shimmered from her eyelids like a reflection of the eyepaint worn by both of the princes. Hers was far more subtle, but undeniably present.

“You look lovely,” Pallis said honestly. He’d done his research on this moment. To ignore the lady’s appearance was bad form, but to say too much on the subject would make her uncomfortable. Adakias had laughed when he found Pallis with his nose buried in a classic romance from the palace library, but the younger prince hardly had a better idea. Pallis was going to do this perfectly, and at least now he knew where to begin.

“Thank you,” Anhura said politely, but Pallis could hear a hint of uncertainty in her voice. He knew she was surprised by his attitude, and forced away the shame that came with his previous bad behaviour. “I hope I’ve dressed well for our outing.”

Pallis heard his brother snort an indelicate laugh from somewhere behind him. With a great deal of effort, he stopped himself glaring at Adakias.

“I believe you to be,” Pallis said, unsure of what she was asking.

“She refers to the temperature,” Adakias put in helpfully, and Anhura nodded, looking relieved.

“We will be outside, if that helps.”

“I see,” Anhura said evenly. “Then I’ll return to fetch a jacket, if you don’t mind.”

Anhura curtseyed her way back into her room, skirts swirling out of sight. Pallis heaved a sigh of relief the moment she was gone.

“You’re doing fine,” Adakias whispered, and this time, Pallis allowed himself to glare.

“My apologies for the delay,” Anhura said, returning to the door quickly. A black shawl was draped around her shoulders.

“No need to apologize, it’s good to be comfortable,” Pallis said, hating the words the moment they slipped out. He desperately tried to remind himself that he knew what he was doing, he only had to be her friend and nothing more, he could handle that. But he didn’t exactly have a wealth of experience with making friends, did he, this wasn’t going to go well at all– “Shall we go, my lady?”

“Certainly, my prince,” Anhura said evenly as she placed her hand in the crook of his arm and allowed him to lead her down the hallway. Behind them, Ro took up a position beside Adakias, dressed similarly to the younger prince in a simple black uniform. Pallis wasn’t overly pleased with the knowledge that the two of them were certainly critiquing his every move.

“May I ask where we’ll be going this evening?”

“Of course.” Pallis took a deep breath before continuing, recalling the words he’d practiced. “Please correct me if I’m mistaken, but texts we have on the Light say that you are great lovers of music, and that the people often sing in the streets to show their respect for the great Scientist.”

“This is true,” Anhura agreed, and if Pallis didn’t know better, he’d say that she sounded hopeful.

“I know that we have a fair few musicians among our townspeople. I’ve released an open invitation to any and all musicians to perform at a public concert this evening in our largest amphitheatre, and I’d hoped you would join me in attending.”

“I’d be glad to,” Anhura said, and Pallis could hear the smile in her voice. He mustered the courage to look at her, and was struck by the warmth of the joy shining from her dark eyes. It made him wonder just how much of the happiness she’d shown before this moment was false, now that he saw what the real thing looked like. Nervous, he smiled back, noticing the surprise she quickly hid. Inwardly, he berated himself for his past behaviour, for being impolite enough that something simple as this would take her by surprise. Determined, he smiled a little wider and now– now Anhura’s expression held a touch of discomfort, he’d held eye contact a little too long, O, how he hated this entire affair–

“While I’m certain the concert could be delayed as long as we’d like it, I recommend moving along quickly to prevent having to do so,” Adakias cut in, and Pallis couldn’t be more grateful for his irritating little brother.

“Of course, thank you, Adakias,” Pallis said quickly, trying not to sound as desperate as he felt. “We’d better get going.”

He began walking, carefully regulating his gait to avoid outpacing the princess. Their trip to the main gate was carried out mostly in silence, broken only by the ringing of their footsteps through the quiet halls, though not quite so quiet as before the crops from the Light had arrived. A second convoy had arrived only days ago, and the people were more hopeful than they’d been in months. This concert Pallis had arranged, it was also for the people to celebrate the treaty and their second chance at life. Pallis pointedly ignored the insidious whispers from the back of his mind, reminders of how much was at stake if he ruined his upcoming marriage.

“What can you tell me about music in the Dark?”

Pallis looked to Anhura to see a determined glint in her eye, carefully layered beneath her usual mild temperament. She didn’t seem to be pleased with Pallis’ admittedly ill-advised choice to keep his mouth shut instead of risking saying the wrong thing. In all fairness, he somewhat agreed that he should probably be speaking to the woman he’s meant to be socializing with. Surely it wasn’t too late to begin now, as they sat in the carriage taking them to the amphitheatre.

“I know too little of the music in the Light to compare it to anything you know,” Pallis began cautiously, trying to plan what to say. He hadn’t rehearsed this particular conversation.

“Fear not, I’m sure I’ll be able to understand,” Anhura replied, and though her tone was perfectly respectful, her words held a hint of sharpness that Pallis both feared and respected.

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to insinuate anything,” he said, opting for honesty. “I have far less faith in my explanations than in your ability to understand them.”

Anhura inclined her head gracefully, a mannerism Pallis was familiar with. It was what Ro did when she was accepting an apology, and he desperately hoped Anhura meant it in the same way as he barrelled onward.

“The music here… we play a variety of instruments, strummed and brass and wind. We favour lighter melodies, overall, with more quick pieces than slow.”

“I’m not familiar with brass,” Anhura commented. “What do you refer to?”

“Oh, it’s the term we use for instruments with a particularly bright sound,” Pallis explained, trying to think of the best way to define the term. “You play them like… well…” He pursed his lips and blew, imitating the method. It was only once he did it that he realized how foolish it looked, and he cast an apologetic look Anhura’s way. An easy smile was on her face, and she looked interested in what he had to say.

“So… you refer to instruments relying upon sympathetic resonance, then?” Anhura clearly noticed the lack of recognition in Pallis’ face. “The vibration from the musician’s lips is conveyed to the air inside the instrument, and magnified, is it not?” Anhura formed a shape with her hands, and, after a moment, Pallis nodded, picturing the bell of the coiled horn stowed away in his rooms. “Some people in the Light have attempted to build from that concept, but the precision of the pitch has always evaded us. We know how the instrument would work, but theory alone is not enough.”

“Do you lack the material? We use an alloy of copper; we find it keeps without corrosion.”

“No, unfortunately. The Light possesses a great wealth of knowledge; we raise our children to be scholars, not engineers. What technology we have is centuries behind what our science would allow us to build, if only we could. Even I am trained only in the theoretical details of our world.”

“The knowledge you possess is of great worth,” Pallis said, unthinking. He’d heard the hint of displeasure creeping into Anhura’s voice and he wanted immediately to quell it. “A theoretical understanding of the world is indescribably valuable.”

Anhura looked at him oddly, keeping quiet for a moment. It was a shocking revelation when Pallis understood how significant it was that she actually allowed him to see some real emotion.

“Thank you, Pallis,” she said slowly, a light smile on her face which belied all that this meant. “You flatter me.”

“I speak the truth. My interests have never laid in such studies, but I see our greatest engineers struggle with the principles that will allow us to move forward. Your knowledge, and that of your people, could be of great use to us.”

“Then I’ll ask that a group of your engineers be sent to the Light to exchange information with our scientists, if you will allow it,” Anhura countered. Her gaze was sharp and interested in a way Pallis had not seen it before. For the first time, he could imagine speaking with the princess for longer than a handful of minutes without wanting to flee in the opposite direction.

“I cannot offer that without my father’s approval, but I’m certain he’ll be more than happy to do so.”

“Wonderful! It seems this treaty will bring more than either land first expected,” Anhura said, what had to be satisfaction written across her face, and Pallis remembered, very suddenly, what he was here to do. This was not a simple outing with his brother and friends, this was a political move calculated to keep his people from starvation, and he had no choice.

“I agree.” Pallis desperately tried to keep up the enthusiasm in his voice. He did not succeed, by the way Anhura looked at him. “It appears we’re nearing our destination,” he said stiffly, gesturing out the window. As he did his best to avoid looking at Anhura, his gaze ran across both Ro and his brother. Ro looked impassive, always far more skilled at keeping her composure under stress than either of the two princes, even in their youth. Adakias smiled faintly, and Pallis imagined that his brother would tell him to keep trying, if it had been appropriate to speak.

“Welcome to your concert, my prince,” an excited voice came from outside the window of the carriage. Moments later, they came to a halt with the low grind of wheels on gravel, and the carriage door was yanked open by a bright-eyed young woman in a frankly ridiculous hat. “I’m the organizer of the event. I’m so glad to see you all here!”

The four of them climbed out of the carriage and Pallis managed to calm his nerves by watching Adakias attempt to offer Ro his arm. She didn’t appear overly interested.

“Is there any food or drink you’d like, my lord-and-ladyships? There’ll be food for us folk, but I don’t know if it’ll be to your taste.”

“I’d like to try some,” Anhura commented when Pallis stayed silent, smiling pleasantly at the woman.

“Myself as well,” Adakias added.

“Excellent,” the woman said, just as energetic as before, though there was a faintly manic look in her eyes. “I’ll leave you in the care of my assistant, Simmons.”

A tall man with a jittery demeanor stepped forward, bowing deeply to the nobles. The woman in charge swept her hands out in his direction, flashing a dazzling smile before turning on her heel and fleeing.

“Please follow me,” Simmons managed with difficulty, unable to look any of them in the eye. He led the four of them down a hastily cleared path to a stone amphitheatre, carved into the bedrock in the shape of a fan. Perfectly centred were a set of four cushions laid out around halfway up the seating.

Pallis led them way to their seats, indescribably glad that they were forced to walk single file by the thin walkway. He revelled in the opportunity to take in a deep breath and compose himself before he’d have to look Anhura in the eye again. Pallis sat down, surprised by how comfortable the cushion was. Silence weighed heavily between the four nobles as the rest of the audience began filing in to their seats, quiet and well-behaved.

Pallis kept his gaze fixed on the empty stage as the crowd began speaking in low voices, displacing the silence. To his right, he saw Ro lean a little closer to Anhura and whisper something that made them both smile. He sat up a little straighter and tried to relax back into his stern mask, it was supposed to be effortless, why was this so difficult? Even Ro and Adakias were allowed to be more human, as they were further from the crown. Only Pallis was expected to hide in this way.

“Lords! Ladies!” A deep voice came bellowing from the front of the amphitheatre, and Pallis was disheartened to realize that he hadn’t noticed the speaker take up position on the stage. “And everybody else here not sitting on a cushion!”

A gentle murmur ran through the crowd, and Pallis saw his companions smile. He forced all emotion from his eyes.

“Tonight, we have a wonderful display prepared for you! The lord Pallis has arranged this concert as a gift for his lady love, and as a celebration for us all!”

The crowd grew a little more boisterous, heads turning to seek out the nobles in their midst. A familiar discomfort coiled itself in Pallis’ stomach, and he ignored it with practiced ease as he nodded smoothly to his people.

“To any aspiring musicians who’ve not yet submitted their names, fear not. It’s not too late to join now! The prince has said that anyone can perform, so please don’t be afraid to participate.”

“That’s an echo,” Anhura commented dryly to Pallis, leaning in and lowering her voice. Pallis agreed entirely; he’d always found the amphitheatre rather acoustically challenged, even in the best seats in the house. He waited until he was fairly certain no one was watching before turning to the princess and daring to respond.

“This is the best it gets; where we’re sitting. Our engineers are convinced that this shape creates the best magnification, but the voices become so difficult to understand.”

“Thus the importance of determining the theory prior to beginning construction,” Anhura replied lightly, smiling. She reached down to trail her fingers across the stone they sat upon. “This stone is far too smooth. The sound will be overly bright no matter what shape you carve it into.”

“How can you know?” Pallis was honestly interested, and now he had a topic of discussion to defeat the deafening silence of earlier.

“Smooth surfaces better reflect sound, and too many will cause the it to bounce about chaotically. The rock should be less polished.”

“Fascinating.”

Anhura looked up quickly, visibly questioning Pallis’ sincerity. When her suspicions came up empty, she smiled again before returning her attention to the stage. Pallis followed her gaze to see a young woman standing at the centre of the lamplight fixed on the stage. Narrowing his eyes, Pallis decided that the item she was clutching was a sawtry.

The woman raised one arm in the air and the crowd silenced obediently. Then she trailed her fingertips across the strings and a ripple of sound echoed through the amphitheatre. Pallis saw Anhura lean forward in her seat ever so slightly, eyes bright and curious. Then the music began, callous-roughened fingers conjuring a gentle accompaniment to the woman’s low voice as she began reciting the tale of The Great Scientist. This was the one speech in the Old Tongue that every single citizen of the Dark knew by heart. Without thinking about it, Pallis joined in, mumbling along with the words.

Once the tale came to a close, the woman paused, eyes flicking up to the audience to shoot a smirk in their direction before launching into a much more modern piece. Much like her speaking voice, her singing was low and raspy, effortlessly haunting. It was so enthralling, in fact, that Pallis nearly missed the tentative hand Anhura laid on his arm.

“What was she saying?”

Pallis took a moment to drag his attention away from the music and redirect it to the princess.

“It was… the old speech, from before Common was developed. She recounted the story of O The Scientist.”

“I see,” Anhura nodded her understanding. “She’s quite talented.”

Pallis warmed with the compliment to his people. He mustered up a smile for Anhura before getting lost in the music once again. His fingers twitched in time to the pulse, as if strumming a sawtry of his own.

When the performance came to an end, the crowd cheered wildly in appreciation, Adakias included. Pallis, Anhura, and Ro restrained themselves to applauding. So applaud they did until the next act, a gaggle of tiny children, made their way onstage. Pallis carefully maintained a neutral expression as the children whipped out a collection of pipes. A short man took up position with his back to the audience and painstakingly conducted them through a simple piece. If he had to guess, Pallis would say that these children were in their first year of lessons on the pipe. It showed in the awkward squeaks scattered throughout the performance, but it did absolutely nothing to detract from the enjoyment the audience got out of the song. Pallis chanced a look in Anhura’s direction. She was smiling, and Pallis quietly decided that this outing was a success.

The concert lasted for nearly three hours, simply from all the musicians eager to perform before the lady of the Light. Despite Pallis’ fears to the contrary, the majority of performances were reasonably good, a handful even as spectacular as the woman who played first. And every single time he glanced at Anhura, she appeared to be appreciating the music. The sour fear that had sat heavy and uncomfortable in his stomach was slowly fading. It was a success, he decided as he got to his feet.

“What did you think, my lady?”

Anhura craned her neck up to look Pallis in the eye. Rolling the stiffness from her shoulders, she stood and no longer had to look quite so far up.

“It is fascinating to learn about the art of another place,” she said, and though her words were diplomatic and even, her voice reflected the joy in her eyes as she’d watched the musicians.

“Did you have a favourite performance?” Pallis was riding the high of the success of the evening, feeling like he could do anything in this moment. Asking Anhura an honest question was far less intimidating when he was this confident.

“The grandmother was wonderful,” Anhura answered after a moment, her eyes distant.

“I agree.” And Anhura was nodding along, so Pallis ventured a little further. “She used her music as a way of… of storytelling, and no one has more stories to share than a grandmother.”

Pallis clamped his mouth shut once he’d said his part, his rush of confidence faltering in the face of Anhura’s thoughtful silence. He was teetering on the brink of a rushed rescinding when Anhura spoke up.

“An insightful remark, my lord,” Anhura commented, a trace of a smile on her face. “The matriarchs of a line often have much to teach the world.”

“I agree,” Pallis said again, relaxing a little, but not so much that anyone would notice.

“Speaking of matriarchs,” Anhura went on, expression flawlessly innocent in a way that Pallis had come to associate with his brother, “I’ve heard much of the queen of this land, yet I’ve found myself hard-pressed to meet her.”

Pallis recalled, very suddenly, that the only thing that ever followed that particular expression was mischief. Though odd to see from the princess, Pallis knew it meant much that she dared to act this way with him. This thought did little to reassure him now.

“Would you be so kind as to introduce us?”

“You see, my lady…” Pallis paused as he frantically searched for an excuse. Anhura couldn’t meet the queen, not yet. His mother would love the wife-to-be of her eldest son, then Pallis would have a nightmare of getting this arrangement called off. Meeting his mother was tantamount to exchanging vows, he decided. Thus, unacceptable. He opened his mouth to say such a thing.

“My lords and ladies, would you care to follow me to the dining hall?” The woman who’d organized the entire event popped up from seemingly nowhere, and Pallis was faintly annoyed that his preoccupation with Anhura had prevented from noticing her arrival.

“Myself and my companions are glad to do so,” Adakias chimed in before Palis could answer with the formality demanded of him and ruin the mood.

“I agree,” Pallis said flatly, keeping his gaze carefully fixed ahead and far from Anhura. Then he stepped ahead quickly, not looking back to check if he was being followed. Anhura didn’t push him for an answer, and Pallis wasn’t sure he was happy with that.

“Would you sit, my lady?”

Pallis snapped back to awareness to find himself standing before a banquet table bearing all that the townspeople could spare for a celebration at a time like this. To his left, Adakias was pulling out a chair for Anhura, smiling at her in the way Pallis knew he could not.

“Is this food anything like what you have in the Light?” Pallis said abruptly, startling Anhura.

“It is, my lord,” Anhura ventured, looking over the food laid out before them. “A fair bit was sent from the Light–”

“I see,” Pallis cut her off, feeling an odd disconnect between his mouth and his mind. This time, Pallis didn’t allow himself to avert his gaze as Anhura lowered her eyes. ‘This is what you’ve done,’ he told himself. ‘This is the woman you’re to wed.’ Pallis gathered a meagre selection of roasted vegetables onto his plate and slowly began forcing himself to eat. His companions did the same, speechlessness weighing on them like a curse. The open walls of the tent in which they sat allowed the noise of the crowd to echo endlessly out into the night, hardly encumbered by the people at the celebration. Pallis stared blankly out at one of the lamps burning valiantly against the night, just beyond the edge of the tent.

“Would any of you care to show off any musical talent?” A boy, standing with his hands shoved behind his back and shoulders hunched, appeared to have been chosen to ask the question. A group of other young people hovered nervously behind him, and Pallis glowered at them and what they represented. Pallis found a little comfort in how quickly they scattered.

“I’m sorry, but I’m of little talent in performing,” Adakias said, smiling apologetically at the boy. “Perhaps you’ll have more luck with my companions.”

The boy raised his gaze with difficulty, terror sitting obvious in every line of his body. Pallis pitied him for this. This was a venture in which he’d have little success.

“I’d be glad to demonstrate a song from the Light,” Anhura declared, her chin lifted and her steel grey eyes fixed straight ahead. She was pointedly ignoring him, Pallis knew. He was comforted to see that she wasn’t afraid to do so. And if she was waiting for a order not to do as she wished, she certainly wouldn’t receive it from him.

“Really?” The boy sucked in a sharp breath and glanced over his shoulder to find his friends missing. He turned back, resolution in the set of his mouth. “Thank you, my lady.”

“It’s no inconvenience,” Anhura dismissed as she stood from the table. “I find that I’ve missed the music of my home.”

Their part of the tent fell silent as Anhura made her way to the benches where the musicians sat, slowly setting aside their instruments. They edged sideways to create a space for her, but Anhura stilled them with a single raised hand.

“I’d like a little assistance, if you would.” She gestured to sawtry player, a man with wild dark hair carelessly pulled back from his face and a serious demeanor. “If you could pluck a single note for me–” she hummed the note she wanted, a curious quaver weaving through her voice, low and easy, “–on the downbeat.” She tapped her foot on the cobblestones a few times until the musician picked up on the tempo she wanted. Then Anhura raised her voice to address her impromptu audience. “This is an ancient love song of my home.”

Anhura drew a deep breath. Pallis leaned in, in spite of himself. Quietly, the sawtry player began plucking a single string, the metallic sound ringing through the stillness of the hall.

“Never feel too good in crowds,” she began, voice far lower than it had any right to be, effortlessly smooth and like nothing Pallis had ever heard. “With folks around.”

Anhura was swaying slightly, the heavy folds of her gown shimmering in the lamplight as she sang. Her eyes were closed and her head tilted skyward, voice ringing upward to gather like storm clouds above their heads even through the smile on her face. Because Pallis could hear the hint of darkness, of obsession, in her words, the lowly echoing “you don’t know what hell you put me through,” and before his eyes, she was transformed to a creature of melody alone. And Pallis looked to his right, and to his left, and found the entire crowd just as transfixed. Then Pallis looked to his brother, and found Adakias staring slack-jawed at the princess, eyes tracing the gentle sway of her form as the music conducted her in a dance. His brother’s gaze spelled out the one thing Pallis wouldn’t–couldn’t be, plain as the night. ‘Oh,’ Pallis thought. ‘ _Oh_.’

“Now at last, the worst is over,” Anhura sang, and Pallis wanted to laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the fun thing about this chapter was my sudden decision to unashamedly shoehorn in as many of my interests as possible, thus the extended discussions of music and Anhura's nerd moments. To be fair, I decided a while back in Sinners that the Light emphasizes the theoretical while the Dark are engineers. Sorry for trashing engineers because I know that all y'all are really educated in physics and everything, but this dynamic just worked too well.
> 
> Speaking of music, the "coiled horn" Pallis has stored away in his closet is a French horn. A sawtry is the old name (according to wikipedia) for a psaltery, a strummed harp-like thing dating back (in the form I intend it here) to the 1300s. The first performer at the concert sings somewhat similarly to Amanda Palmer. The song Anhura sings is "To Be Alone" by Hozier, which is an absolutely mesmerizing piece that I would 100% recommend listening to. Whenever I need a source musician for style reference I automatically go to Brendon Urie but he sang the part of Pallis, and I'm currently going through a Hozier thing so I'm just stealing his mannerisms instead.
> 
> Up next: Will Anhura finally meet the queen after like 15k of hearing about her? Find out next time on "Wouldn't It Be Nice".
> 
> Update (Nov. 14): So my term papers are due at the end of the month and then I’ll have finals. Because of all that, I’m guess the next chapter won’t be up until mid to late December. I promise I haven’t forgotten about this fic, I just need to prioritize school for a while.


	11. Anhura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to meet the queen of the Dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back!!! I’m honestly so excited to be working on this fic again, and I’m so grateful to all of you for being so patient over this little mini-hiatus! Hopefully, updates will come a little quicker now that I’m off school.

Anhura was nervous.

She’d been in the Dark for nearly two months, and she was uneasy in a way she hadn’t been since her first few days after arriving. This fear wasn’t of the same nature that had her reigning in her thoughts around one such as Pallis or holding her head even higher than usual as she walked among the people. No, Anhura was, for the first time in a long while, nervous that she’d make a verbal misstep in front of another noble. By all accounts, the Queen was a wonderful and formidable woman, which was the exact cause of the turmoil roiling in Anhura’s stomach. No less than sixteen people had told Anhura that the Queen would adore her, though Anhura wasn’t overly confident in that reassurance. Admittedly, the princes appeared to be truthful when telling Anhura this, but it would take far more than the words of a pair of doting sons to stem her fear of the infamous Queen of the Dark.

At least she had her favoured of the two princes at her side now, though she wouldn’t dare admit such a thing. Adakias had spoken about his mother constantly as he led Anhura to the queen’s chambers, generously peppering his anecdotes with a humour Anhura was deeply grateful for. He was a comforting warmth at her side, dressed in a dark red tunic, the first non-black garment Anhura had ever seen him wear. According to Adakias, his mother liked to see him in it.

So Anhura and Adakias sat in the Queen’s antechamber, Adakias in a state of perfect calm and Anhura doing her very best to hide the tension in her veins. A small fountain in the corner of the room burbled soothingly, doing absolutely nothing to alleviate Anhura’s nerves. Adakias had fallen silent once they were ushered in the Queen’s rooms, and Anhura sorely missed his constant chatter. It had grown comforting after all this time.

When a large stone-hewn door swung open with a characteristic shhh, Anhura jumped.

“The Queen is ready to speak with you,” declared a woman dressed as a lady’s maid, dwarfed by the doorway in which she stood. “Please wait here.”

Then the maid retreated, closing the door quietly behind herself. Anhura breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s not normally like this,” Adakias broke the still air of the room. “When I go to see her, I mean.”

“You mean to tell me that your mother does not force you to navigate all these formalities to speak with her?” Anhura was reassured by the smile that graced Adakias’ face at her words. “Shocking.”

Adakias’ smile grew wider, and Anhura allowed herself to focus on this practiced ease between them rather than the queen she was about meet.

“All sarcasm aside, I’m surprised she’s being this formal,” Adakias said. “It’s not her usual manner.”

Before Anhura could reply, the door opened with a good bit more force than the maid had used, stone scraping against stone. In the doorway, a stocky woman with piercing blue eyes sat in a light-framed chair. The set to her mouth was identical to Pallis’ and her build was somewhat similar to Adakias’, though her skin was a fair few shades darker than that of either of her sons. Anhura wasted no more than an instant looking before getting to her feet and approaching the woman.

“My queen, it is an honour to meet you,” Anhura stated in her most diplomatic tone. She curtseyed, sweeping her skirts out to the side, then faltered when the woman remained seated.

“I’ll save you the distress,” the queen said warmly, holding out a hand to Anhura.

Tentatively, Anhura reached down to clasp the queen’s hand in hers, marking the rough calluses there. She recalled the pattern from her knights back home. These were a fighter’s hands.

“As you can see, standing is a little beyond my abilities at the moment.” The queen gestured downward and— oh. Anhura had to stifle a gasp at the sight of her right leg, which ended just above the knee. For the first time, Anhura turned her attention to the chair, which she’d initially dismissed. It had large slanted wheels mounted on each side, along with a pair of foot rests placed near the bottom, only one of which the queen was currently using.

Shame burned through Anhura at the disrespect she’d just shown the queen. She should have known better, she should have found out that the queen couldn’t walk, how could she be so foolish–

“I can see the panic in your eyes, my lady,” the queen’s low voice cut through her whirling thoughts. “No need to fear offending me, I’m rather accustomed to reactions such as those. And I am your husband-to-be’s mother, I won’t accept this ‘my queen’ routine from you. My name is Mona.”

“I see,” Anhura answered slowly, desperately trying to organize her thoughts. “Thank you, Mona.”

“No worries,” Mona said dismissively, dropping her hands to the wheels at her sides and slowly rolling toward Anhura. “I never cared much for all these formalities.”

“You must forgive mother, my lady” Adakias chimed in, timing perfect as ever. “She wasn’t born into nobility.”

“One wouldn’t think that you were, by the way you dare speak to your mother,” Mona retorted immediately, the dense muscles in her shoulders rippling as she folded her arms. She glared at her son for a moment longer, then the pair of the broke into identical grins and Anhura blinked a few times. She hated feeling caught outside of her familiarity.

“Also, Adi,” Mona continued, every bit of playful annoyance vanished from her demeanor, “when I heard that my son wanted an audience to introduce me to Anhura, I assumed it would be your brother.”

Adakias opened his mouth to respond, then paused, shooting a look Anhura’s direction. Anhura took the cue to step forward and speak up.

“I’ve wanted to meet you for a while now, and Pallis was unfortunately unable to join me. Adakias volunteered in his stead.”

“Ah. And you wanted a companion in case I was set on hating you.”

Anhura took a deep breath and gathered herself, trying to keep the shock from her face. At least she now knew where Adakias’ habit of speaking his mind came from. But she still couldn’t decide what she was meant to say to that.

“Sorry, that was in poor taste,” Mona went on, looking truly contrite. “You’re lovely, from what little I’ve seen of you.” She punctuated that remark with a disapproving glance slanted at Adakias, who shrugged.

“Thank you, Mona,” Anhura bowed her head, narrowly keeping herself from curtseying again. “I’ve been told much about the things you’ve done for this kingdom, especially for the woman warriors.”

“You’ve been speaking to Ro, haven’t you?” Mona was smiling even as she rolled her eyes, cheeks pinking with pride. “She’s always held me in much higher esteem than I deserve. All I did was roll up here with a mace and suddenly I’m an advocate for all the women in the land.”

Anhura’s gaze flicked down to Mona’s chair at ‘roll’ and she frantically yanked her disobedient eyes back up, desperately hoping the queen hadn’t noticed. Mona was smirking, but didn’t seem offended. This appeared to be a consistent theme with the queen, Anhura noted.

“Mother, Anhura isn’t here to listen to your life story,” Adakias cut in, affecting an air of insolence that was entirely normal, Anhura was beginning to understand.

“I’ll have you know that my life story is truly fascinating,” Mona sniffed, lifting her chin to look down her nose at her younger son. “Truly, it’s a miracle I haven’t yet been placed in myth.”

Anhura was desperately trying to keep up with the wildly informal tone of the conversation when Adakias caught her eye, a question written plain on his face. Anhura nodded to him, suddenly certain that he knew what he was asking. Was she comfortable with all this, was it working? Because Adakias took after his mother in many ways, and the pair of them were clearly doing their best to make Anhura feel at home.

“But I fear I’ve been neglecting my guest,” Mona’s voice cut through Anhura’s thoughts, drawing the princess back into the present. “I’d love to speak with you further, if you’re up for it.”

“I’d be glad to speak with you, too.” Anhura felt a little as if her words were detached from her mind itself.

“Excellent.” Mona spun her chair to face Adakias. Anhura abruptly noticed the quiver slung diagonally across the back of the chair, currently empty but with the distinctive scrapes along the interior signalling heavy use. “Adakias, I’m sure you have duties of your own that can occupy your time for the next while.”

“Alright,” Adakias sighed melodramatically, but grinned broadly at Anhura, a reassurance. Anhura, in spite of herself, smiled back.

“Now, Adi,” Mona said, a hint of easy authority slipping into her voice.

Finally, Adakias flashed Anhura some peculiar hand gesture and slipped out the door. The door swung shut with a disappointingly gentle sound, considering how uneasy Anhura began to feel the moment Adakias was out of sight.

“At last, we can speak plainly,” Mona said with the air of a woman exhaling after a long while of holding her breath. “But first, sit, please.”

Carefully concealing her uncertainty, Anhura crossed the room to sit on an armchair. Mona’s sharp gaze followed her closely.

“I’m not usually one for secrecy, Anhura,” she began once Anhura was settled. “And I know that my son has been keeping you from me. I have my suspicions why, but first I must make an exception and ask that you keep everything we discuss today between us, and my sons, of course.”

This wasn’t the first time a noble had asked Anhura to keep a discussion private. It was, however, the first time such a request had filled her with such dread. In this moment, the queen bore a striking resemblance to her first son, eyes gone cold and emotionless. It wasn’t overly encouraging, and the more fearful edges of Anhura’s mind wondered just what the queen was about to tell her.

“I will do my best to keep all personal details to myself,” Anhura replied carefully, putting on her most sincere expression. Mona smirked, and Anhura knew the loopholes she’d left herself hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“I suppose that’s all I can ask of you,” Mona admitted, “but you must know that if you misuse my trust and hurt either of my boys, no amount of politics will be able to save you.”

“I can promise you, my queen, I will not hurt them,” Anhura swore, allowing meaning to slip through her polished facade.

“Thank you,” Mona said, eyes brightening and giving Anhura hope. “Because I know my son, and I know that Pallis does not want to marry you.”

Mona was speaking so carefully, Anhura nearly had to laugh. “That much is obvious. Every outing with me is an effort for him. He has taken every chance to flee my company and leave me with his brother instead. I am very familiar with Pallis’ dislike of me.”

“He doesn’t dislike you,” Mona was quick to correct her, a light smile creeping onto her face. “According to Adakias, Pallis thinks you’re lovely. From what I hear, you’re clever and kind and both of my sons hold you in a great deal of esteem.”

“I fear that your sources are mistaken, Mona.” That was a much more likely explanation than Pallis actually liking her. If he did--which was unlikely at best--he certainly had a peculiar way of showing it. “Pallis speaks to me as if mustering anything more than coldness is hardly worth the effort.” His behaviour in their last outing notwithstanding, of course, that was far too irregular. The flashes of something almost friendly had to be outliers.

“He may be dreadful at expressing it, but I can promise you Pallis is more than that.” Mona hesitated, an unusual restraint from what little Anhura had seen of her. “He is… well, Pallis is a queer sort. It is the marriage, not you yourself that he struggles with.”

“Thank you for saying that,” Anhura conceded, filing Mona’s words away begrudgingly. “I hope you’ll understand that I want nothing more than for the marriage to go smoothly, but sometimes… well, I’ll admit that sometimes his demeanor makes me uncomfortable.”

It was nearly comical how rapidly Mona’s expression darkened. “Pallis should know better. The nobles here are taught to… to keep everyone at distance, to perhaps even seem cold, but he has no right to make you… were you afraid? Were you afraid of him?”

Anhura didn’t say anything, but Mona was far too good at reading her. Protective rage flared into the queen’s eyes, and for an instant, Anhura’s mother came to mind. The thought came with an ancient ache she thought she’d left behind years ago, and she pushed it quickly from mind.

“I’ll be having words with him,” Mona said with an air of danger, and Anhura felt more comfortable than she had yet.

“Thank you, my queen.”

“I’m his mother, it’s my job to talk sense into him when he’s being a damn idiot. You know Ro, yes?” Mona didn’t give Anhura the chance to answer. “That’s what the nobles here are supposed to act like. She keeps herself apart from the commoners, but she is never cold to them. And she would never allow anyone to fear her. Pallis would do well to learn from her example.”

“Ro would be glad to hear that.”

“I’m not surprised.” Mona took a moment’s pause and sighed. “Would you care to get some fresh air? All this difficult talk makes me long to get out of here.”

“I would love that,” Anhura said, carefully concealing her disappointment. She’d been hoping to learn more about Pallis’ issues with her, but staying on the queen’s good side was far more important. If the marriage turned sour, a more pragmatic part of Anhura’s mind suggested, at least she would have an ally. “Shall we go?”

“Certainly.” Mona fiddled with some switch mounted on the side of her chair and rolled toward the door. Anhura slowly got to her feet as she watched Mona reach upward to a rope hanging from some elaborate pulley contraption, pulling it an arm’s length or so to the gentle grind of gears. Anhura followed the rope until it disappeared into the ceiling, then turned to the door, astonished, as it slowly swung open. “Neat, right?”

“It’s very clever,” Anhura commented as she followed Mona through the door. Once they were through the doorway, Mona pulled a lever mounted on the wall and whatever was holding the door in place was released.

“This entire thing seems unfamiliar to you, Anhura,” Mona said inquisitively, gesturing vaguely to her chair and the machine she’d just used. “Is this not done in the Light?”

“Amputation is a far more common procedure here than in the Light, from what I’ve seen. We hardly have the need for this kind of technology.”

Mona smiled wryly up at Anhura as she began making her way down a nearby ramp. “Amputation isn’t the only reason items such as wheeled-chairs are useful.”

“I will admit I hadn’t thought of that,” Anhura conceded. “I find myself wondering what impact these devices would have on my people.”

“I’m glad you see it this way. I would be glad to offer your people the blueprints for my own modifications.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” Anhura said, bowing her head as she walked alongside the queen. They lapsed into silence for a moment, and Anhura let herself glance over to Mona, noticing, for the first time, the many faded scars littering the majority of the woman’s exposed skin, marks from knives and clubs and even a few burns. “If you don’t mind my asking, from what I understand, your background is fascinating.”

“There’s no need to hold your tongue with me, Anhura,” Mona said gently. “I never tire of talking about myself.”

“The story of a woman who fought as a warrior but also became the queen is bound to be interesting,” Anhura laid on a little flattery. “And you don’t appear to be entirely of Dark heritage.”

“My mother was from the Light, actually,” Mona explained. “I was raised in the wasteland, but I became a guard here when my parents brought me back to the Dark. I worked hard, I joined the royal guard, the rest is history.”

“Wait, no,” Anhura glanced around to make sure there were no servants nearby, then pushed aside some of her usual formalities. “You married into the royal family! And you weren’t a native of the Dark, there must be something…”

Mona raised her eyebrows, laying her hands on the inner rims of her wheels to slow her chair. She came to a halt near a small bench and gestured loosely to it. Anhura sat, keeping a close eye on the queen.

“And finally, we get to the point. I told you, Anhura, you don’t have to censor yourself around me.”

Mona was far too good at reading her, Anhura knew that now. They were near a pair of the guards lining the hallway, but for once, Anhura didn’t particularly care. Perhaps it was foolish, perhaps Anhura was growing weak as she grew accustomed to the Dark, but this woman seemed trustworthy in a way that couldn’t be explained. So Anhura took a deep breath and said what she wanted to.

“I’m scared, Mona,” Anhura managed. “I fear that this land will never feel like home to me. I fear that Pallis… he is afraid too, I see it in his eyes when he looks at me, but men who are afraid cannot be trusted to keep their heads about them.”

“Anhura? Come here, sweetheart.” Mona opened her arms and Anhura fell into them, burying her face in the queen’s shoulder. Anhura clung to the queen desperately, every bit of her fear and uncertainty pouring into her embrace of this woman who seemed far too similar to her own mother. “You’re so brave for doing this. So brave.”

“Thank you,” Anhura whispered, holding on even tighter. The queen tightened her grip too, cradling Anhura with the strength of a warrior but the love of a mother. It was something wondrous to feel this safe in a strange land, Anhura had discovered. But she was to be queen, and there were rules she had to follow, so Anhura slowly counted to twenty and began to pull away.

“All you politicians, trying to pretend you don’t have emotions,” Mona said lowly, but her smile took any bite from the words. “You can come to me any time, Anhura. You never have to ask.”

“Thank you so much, Mona.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I remember first joining the royal family. Evyr did his best to teach me what it would be like, but marrying into nobility is never easy; even more so as an outsider to the culture.”

“The king helped you?”

“Of course, he was only the prince at the time. He was crowned a few years after we were wed, and a large number of his councilmen were livid that their new king was a man who’d married a commoner, and one of mixed heritage, no less.”

“Did they accept your background in time?”

“Some of them.” Mona shrugged, a sharp smile creeping onto her face. “More importantly, I learned how to use my position to make sure the ones that didn’t were removed from their posts as quickly as possible.”

“I see.” Anhura had to fight not to smile back at the queen. It seemed that every new detail she learned about the woman’s life only further justified Ro’s hero worship.

“Those with such old attitudes have no place in my husband’s government. And while he’s trying to run the whole place, I’ve done my best to help.”

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Anhura commented, half serious.

“Oh, you never could. I see what you’re trying to do.” Anhura’s stomach dropped and for an instant she wondered just what Mona was seeing in her. “You want to do right by your people, and I have nothing but respect for your intentions.”

“I’ve already promised the same to the citizens of the Dark,” Anhura put in, trying very hard not to sound as if she was boasting.

“Excellent. And I have total faith in your ability to do so.”

“I hope so,” Anhura tried. She hadn’t yet discussed politics with Pallis, and the degree of freedom she’d be allowed in her marriage was still unknown territory.

“You’ll do fine. And if I may offer you some advice in your courtship…”

“Certainly, my queen.”

“Allow Pallis to treat you as a friend before asking that he courts you. The latter may come in time, but I can promise you that first becoming his friend will make all this far easier on both of you.”

“I’d hoped for a husband,” Anhura admitted, “not a friend.”

“Pallis will give you what he can and nothing more,” Mona said sternly, and Anhura bowed her head. “I’d expect that you, of all people, would understand his position. I hope that the two of you will find solace in each other’s company, in time.” Then Mona grinned suddenly, lightening the air between them. “But I will speak with Pallis. And I can assure you that he will be on his best behaviour for you.”

“I know I’ve said it far too many times, but I’m very grateful, Mona.”

“It’s the least I can do. You’ll be family soon.”

And though Anhura’s stomach twinged with nerves at the implication of queen’s words, she took the sentiment for what it was; a promise, of protection and of respect. She let herself shed the last traces of the mask she always wore and looked Mona in the eye, and found nothing but reassurance there. She drew a deep breath and filed away Mona’s words where they’d be safe in her heart.

Pallis wouldn’t know what hit him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, Mona is my favourite and she’s honestly so much fun to write. It’s also really interesting thinking up accessibility accommodations for a society that is moderately technologically advanced, but is still in the whole castles and peasants sort of age. Also now I can make it a headcanon of mine that the royal family of the Dark gives really good hugs.
> 
> I’d like to note that while I am familiar with the disabled experience, I’m not a wheelchair user, so I welcome comments from anyone with more familiarity with wheelchairs. Though the one thing I'm fairly certain is a universal disabled mood is making abled people uncomfortable with bad puns.
> 
> Up next: What's a good medieval fic without some fighting?


	12. Adakias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pallis fights in the Dark's annual tournament.
> 
> WARNING: Violence. It's a tournament y'all. (More info in end note but also minor spoilers.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaaaand I'm back, baby! All the time I usually use for writing has been, over the past few months, entirely replaced by readings for class, which is why this took so long in the making. It's a bit longer though, and I'm fairly proud of it, so hopefully you guys enjoy!

Adakias wasn’t having a particularly good day.  There were any number of factors contributing to this, ranging from the glaring sunlight that had woken him up that morning to looking like a fool in front of Anhura at their midday meal.  Unfortunately, he’d remembered about five minutes previous that tomorrow was the tournament.  While he didn’t compete, it was a total mystery as to how he’d forgotten this in the first place, considering that the tournament was still one of the biggest events of the year.  For a society of warriors, it was only logical that a series of competitions revolving around combat would be a cause for great celebration.  And this was one of the many reasons Adakias didn’t particularly enjoy it; the partying.  Adakias was meant for scholarship, not navigating crowds of boisterous warriors, nor sitting through lengthy celebrations, something he indignantly declared year after year to anyone who would listen.

“You know, you have quite the way with words when you’re annoyed,” Anhura pointed out from where she sat curled in her favourite armchair.  She’d stopped sitting ‘like a lady,’ back painfully straight and hands folded demurely in her lap, weeks ago.  There was something about the sight of her, carefully draping the brilliant fabric of her skirts about her as she left formality behind in favour of comfort.  She wore much brighter colours these days, Adakias had noticed.

“Ah, ‘tis the tragic fate of a scholar’s soul,” Adakias moaned, throwing a hand into the air to emphasize the injustice of it all.

“Tragic,” Anhura parroted flatly, but the corners of her lips were curved upward slightly.  “So unfortunate, that you’ll have to sit on a comfortable cushion in the best seat in the house while those less fortunate risk their lives for monetary gain.  I pity you.”

“As you should.  It’ll be lengthy and boring and no one ever gets properly hurt anyway.”

“Well, you know how I feel about violence,” Anhura said, softening her voice and changing the tone of the conversation in an instant.  “I’m not exactly enthused at the idea of watching people, some of whom are not even properly trained, hack away at each other like we haven’t grown past such savagery.”

“It’s sport, Anhura.  Don’t you think we’d have taken precautions to reduce the number of injuries?  All weapons are weighted wood, rather than metal, and everyone is issued the same armor, the best our engineers can develop to keep them safe.  Rarely do combatants leave the ring with anything more than bruises or a bloody nose.  Do you have anything similar in the Light?”

“Certainly not,” Anhura countered immediately, a polite degree of scandalization in her voice and one hand rising to land on her heart.  Then she visibly thought for a moment, and her posture relaxed again.  “We are taught from childhood that violence is the way of the Dark, and the Dark is a people to be feared.  Of course, any who believe such things evidently know very little about the Dark, but the belief is prevalent nonetheless."

“So, you truly were afraid of us when you first arrived?”  She’d certainly done a wonderful job convincing him that he’d never frightened her.  That, though, wasn’t a question he felt brave enough to ask.

“Oh, very much so,” Anhura laughed through her words, and Adakias decided he hadn’t made that bad of a decision after all.  “The stories we hear, the stories told to children, they make out citizens of the Dark as cartoonishly evil.  By the time I was old enough to question the truth, to do research for myself, the fears were too deeply ingrained to leave behind in a day.”

“If it makes you feel any better, we’re told stories about the Light too,” Adakias offered, carefully filing away this piece of information for further thought at a later time.  He was fairly proud of his ability to assess other people, yet he hadn’t spotted this fear in Anhura’s demeanor.  Now, with all that had changed, the thought of her fearing him and his family was horrific.

“Really?  Of what?”  Now Anhura was leaning in to better hear him, eyes bright with interest in a way that threatened to steal away all Adakias’ intelligent thought.  He swallowed thickly.  “I’ve always thought the Light too harmless for such rumours.”

“No, but that is precisely it.  Though the word used here is more commonly ‘weak.’”  Adakias knew it must hurt to hear her people described thus, just like it had hurt him.  He rushed on, hoping to ease the blow.  “You’ve certainly proven the keep wrong on that particular point.  Fear is exactly what was expected of you, and your courage was a surprise to all who thought a union between the Light and Dark was… ill-advised.”

“Thank you, Adakias,” Anhura said, voice soft and heartfelt.  Then, even quieter-- “I still find myself uncertain these days.  The people-- both yours and mine-- will not be eager to end centuries of animosity so easily.  Not to mention your father’s offer to send soldiers from the Dark back to my home, the Light, I mean.  The citizens will see it as a threat, regardless of their intentions.”

Adakias took a moment to process the princess’ words.  He wasn’t a politician and Anhura knew as much, so it made little sense that she continually spoke to him of matters such as these.  “Do you think this can work?”

Anhura hesitated, gaze faltering with an uncertainty so unfamiliar on her.  She held her tongue long enough that Adakias considered taking back his words and changing the topic to something lighter.  He should have known that asking the princess if she honestly believed her arranged marriage would do her people good couldn’t be a good idea--

“Yes, in time.  Though…”  She drew an unsteady breath and refocused on Adakias.  “My father governs in the way of the ancient kings of the Light.  Such drastic change as bringing men-- and women, beg your pardon-- of the Dark within our walls cannot be dealt with in the old way.  The old ways are precisely the reason we fear you so.  Change is necessary, and…”

“I don’t mean to cast doubt upon your family,” Adakias put in tentatively, more and more concerned with every passing second.  This mood seemed strange on Anhura

“No, you haven’t, I just mean that… well, I’ve trained my entire life to take the throne and bring the kind of change we’ll need.  It seems that is no longer in my future.

“Are you not to become queen?

“My title is a different matter entirely,” Anhura shut down that line of questioning.  “I speak of power, not a throne itself.

“So you feel you’ve missed your opportunity,” Adakias summed up her plight the best he could.  “And the reason you’ve losing your chance, the cause you’re sacrificing yourself for is already ill-fated.”

“Marrying into your family won’t be a sacrifice,” Anhura neatly steered the conversation away from her disappointment, and Adakias decided that he was precisely right.  “I’ve grown to love this place and its people.”

“And I’m glad of that, my lady, but… I hope you do know that you will still be able to assist the alliance from atop the throne here.”

Anhura conjured up a smile, but it was wan and empty.  “I’m sure.”  Then she gathered herself up to sit stiff-backed in her chair, drawing in a deep breath before rising to her feet.  “I suppose it’s grown late while we spoke and I’d better return to my chambers.  I wish you goodnight, Adakias.”

“Goodnight, Anhura,” Adakias managed in return, scrambling to his feet to offer an uncoordinated bow.  It made Anhura smile, and she seemed just a little less disheartened as she curtseyed and made her way out of the room.  Adakias waited carefully until the princess was quite certainly out of earshot before groaning loudly.

“ _O_ , keep it together,” he berated himself, dragging his hands through his hair exasperatedly.  “Idiot.”

Then he stiffened his spine like the prince he was and walked out of the library, mind still far away, lost in the fears of the princess of the Light.

~

“Have you noticed, Pallis, that Anhura doesn’t want to talk politics with you, _despite_ being only months away from co-ruling the land?”

“Don’t you think that this might-- Ro, stop it-- this might be a-- stop! -- bad time?”

“Not particularly,” Adakias decided after a moment of watching Pallis frantically dodge Ro’s throwing knives; blunted, of course.  The second to the captain of the guard was sporting a toothy grin, flipping a knife in her hand and watching Pallis closely.  “So, have you considered actually speaking with her?  Because we were just discussing it, and she has a few… unusual assumptions about what will happen to her political power when she weds you.”

“Really?”  Finally, Ro stopped with the knives, but continued glaring daggers at Pallis.  “How could you think that politics aren’t an important topic when you’re marrying a politician?”

“I feel like I’m being unfairly targeted here,” Pallis whined, slowly making his way over to where Adakias stood at the edge of the training ground.  “She’s the politician, I’d have thought she’d bring it up if it mattered so much to her.”

“Idiot,” Ro drawled from behind him, gathering up her knives from where they lay scattered about the arena.  “We’ve had this conversation before.”

“Idiot,” Adakias echoed, then dodged the half-hearted swat Pallis aimed his direction.  “You know she’s not comfortable enough with you to do that.  You have to make sure she knows that she won’t be stripped of all authority and confined to the palace to live out her days as a… a trophy of your importance.”

Pallis blanched, folding his arms and turning away to survey the arena.  “She said that?”

“Not in so many words.”  Pallis visibly relaxed and Adakias rolled his eyes.  “But it was implied.  Strongly implied.”

“You need to tell her what’s really going to happen when you’re wed,” Ro put in, and Pallis scowled, disagreement written in every line of his tense form.  “Just so that she doesn’t have to worry about her position along with everything else.”

“Just say, ‘hey, you’re going to be queen and I won’t try to control you’.  Nice and easy.”

“But the tournament,” Pallis protested, hand falling to the blunted practice weapon currently sitting on his hip.  “I’m a little busy.”

“We all know exactly how it’ll go, and it’ll be just like every single other tournament for the last decade.  You don’t exactly need to train.”

“I disagree,” Ro commented mildly.  Pallis ignored her, while Adakias shot a grin in her direction.

“Fair point.  But you still need to talk to her, and the sooner the better.”

“Before the tournament begins, then,” Ro suggested, leaning on the barrier beside the princes.  “We all know you’ll just find another excuse if you delay any further.”

“Fine,” Pallis groaned in a manner far more befitting a child than the first son of the king.  Adakias quietly decided that Pallis had officially forfeited his right to call Adakias immature.  “Before the tournament.”

“Perhaps she’ll be kind enough to wish you luck in combat, my lord,” Ro added, pushing away from the wooden barrier and making her way to the bench where her weapons had been left.  “You’ll certainly need it.”

“I don’t need to rely upon the lady’s blessing to beat you,” Pallis threw back, his preoccupation with his wedding left behind, if the visible relaxing of his frame was any indication.

“Sorry, brother, I’m betting on Ro this year,” Adakias said, laughing as Pallis turned a betrayed expression his way.  But there was amusement softening his eyes, and Adakias let himself forget his fears, just for a while.  He only hoped that Pallis would be able to do the same when he had to meet with Anhura.

~ 

“Okay, just like we practiced.  Do you have your list?”

Pallis, imposing as ever in his armour and frighteningly pale, nodded shakily.  He reached into a pocket and produced a sheet of paper covered with neat rows of tiny writing.  Studying the first item on the page, he heaved a deep breath and returned his attention to his brother.

“One - It’s recently been called to my attention that I’ve yet to speak with you about the politics of your position here.  Two - I want you to know that you will assume full rights as a queen of the Dark once we’re wed.”  Here, Pallis looked back down to his paper, crinkling distressingly in his grasp.  “Three - I hope that you’ll feel comfortable speaking with me about any further concerns you have regarding this.”

“You’ve got this, Pal,” Adakias resurrected the hated nickname just to jar Pallis out of his unique combination of misery and terror.  He brother scowled, and Adakias grinned all the brighter.

“I feel like a fool,” Pallis groaned, waving the paper in his brother’s direction.  “Don’t bother,” he added tiredly, correctly predicting what Adakias was about to say.  “I know you’re having a delightful time laughing at all my shortcomings, but this isn’t easy for me.”

“I know,” Adakias said simply, backing off to take a step in the direction they were meant to be going.  “I just want to help you and Anhura.  I’m your local romance expert, it’s my duty.”

“You’re not an expert in anything,” Pallis complained, trailing after Adakias.  “And besides, remember Rolf?”

Adakias winced at the memory, recalling his teenage self with a familiar regret.  His decidedly mediocre attempts at romance from those years were best forgotten. Besides, he liked to think he’d grown up a fair bit since then.

“Shut up,” Adakias said dismissively, noticing the way Pallis appeared a little less tense at the familiar byplay.  Pallis wasn’t thinking about Anhura, and he’d been coaxed to the gate that led to tournament grounds. Of course, the people wouldn’t see him immediately, but Anhura’s piercing eyes would land upon him the moment he stepped into his private tent, and Pallis couldn’t afford to be anything less than composed.

“Ready?”

Pallis shut his eyes, taking a breath to draw himself up to his full height, spine as straight as any warrior.  Then he looked to the gate, a faint smile gracing his features, and nodded shortly.  A glow of pride settled in Adakias’ chest at the sight of his kin, the consummate warrior.  Despite all he said, it was fairly disturbing to see his older brother so distressed about the upcoming wedding.  This was just what Pallis needed to build up his confidence with Anhura.  Then Anhura would be content in the marriage, and Adakias would have all the time in the world to rid himself of that pesky stir in his chest whenever he looked at his brother’s bride.  It was a foolproof plan.

As Adakias congratulated himself on his brilliant scheme, Pallis strode out into the flimsy passage constructed to conceal him from public eyes on the way to his tent.  Then, forcibly yanking his thoughts from the soon-to-be happy couple, Adakias turned down the other passage and took his place in the royal box.

“How pleasant to finally meet you,” the queen told him somewhat sourly from where she sat one chair over.  “I’d feared I’d never get the chance.”

“Mother,” Adakias groaned, turning to embrace the disgruntled queen.  “You know I’ve been busy.”

“Yes, of course, spending time with the princess and ignoring your duties.  That’s far more important than spending time with the woman who birthed you.”

“ _Mother_ ,” Adakias groaned a little louder.  “I see you each day at dinner, or at least I do when you’re not busy at the smithy.”

“Hmm,” his mother folded her arms and turned her nose up.  “Just because you’re preoccupied with our guest doesn’t mean you can skip tea.”

“You think afternoon tea is outdated and preposterous.”

“Fair point,” his mother conceded.  “But I’d like if you came to see me."

“Of course, mother,” Adakias promised, leaning into the queen’s shoulder.  She hugged him with one arm, and he felt like a child again, just for a moment.

“I assume this is where I’m meant to sit,” a dry voice came from behind them, and Adakias twisted in his seat to see Anhura, clad in black, but with gold highlights peeking through the lighter layers of her skirt.  She was dressed in the style of the Dark, in the colours of the Dark.  In Pallis’ colours, Adakias realized.  Something unwelcome twisted in his stomach.

“You’ve found us,” the queen put in, gesturing broadly to the seats.  There were two empty chairs, excluding the one Anhura was carefully settling herself and her dress into.  The king had yet to address the crowd, and Pallis always waited with the rest of the warriors.  The three of them were rather isolated, Adakias felt.

“It’s odd to see you like this,” Anhura mentioned, and Adakias startled.  “Without your paint, so different from how you usually dress.”

“What I wear must days is meant to be a stylized form of armour.  Today, I represent peace.  Thus, no armour.”

“Is this a tradition here?  To have a noble remove their armour?”

“The Dark can be… argumentative, we certainly have been in years gone by,” the queen put in.  “Someone like Adi who doesn’t fight is a reminder to us of what we must avoid becoming.  Strength on its own isn’t dangerous, not if it’s maintained responsibly.”

Anhura raised an eyebrow at Adakias’ mother, and the air between them tensed slightly.  Adakias wisely kept his mouth shut.

“Yet deciding what defines responsibility is a task left up to the ones with all the power,” Anhura said calmly, though her demeanor was slipping closer to the mask of a practiced politician with each word.  “Hardly something to be bestowed upon someone qualified only by their birth.”

“A bold stance to take with someone who married into nobility, my lady,” the queen retorted, raising an eyebrow.  “May I remind you that I fought for every iota of power I have.”

Anhura softened immediately, turning apologetic so quickly that Adakias wondered just how much practice she’d had.

“I didn’t mean to cast judgement on your own position, my queen-- Mona.”

“I understand, Lady Anhura,” Adakias’ mother said with the air of one who understood entirely.  “May I ask if you’ve spoken with my son recently about our peerage system?”

“Yes, Adakias and I frequently--”

“My other son, Anhura,” the queen corrected, wearing a smile that made Adakias immediately nervous.  “From what I understand, you rarely exit discussions with Adakias in such a mood as this; with teeth bared, as some would say.”

So, the princess seemed to enjoy speaking with Adakias as much as he did with her.  Well, perhaps not quite as much, but Adakias would be happy just to know that she didn’t find him irritating.

“Pallis, yes, of course,” Anhura said after a moment.  “Just before I came up here, we had a discussion about succession.  He told me that, as you did, I would become rightful queen of the Dark.  I’d wondered… forgive me, Mona, but I’d wondered if you were truly queen in the political sense.  I hadn’t seen you for so very long, when I’d first arrived here.”

“Unlike you, I have very little interest in the day-to-day duties of a queen.  I trust the king to handle those details, and he consults with me on the more significant decisions.  But the rest of the time, I’m free to do as I will.  And my calling is in my forge, far from palace life.  Pallis is my son, in that regard.  The two of us are far more comfortable with a sword in our hand and the soil beneath our feet than at the comfort of a banquet table.

“You, on the other hand?  You will be entirely within our law to claim your rights as acting queen of the Dark.  And I’m sure Pallis will have told you as much, if he knows what’s good for him.”

“He did, Mona,” Anhura reassured the queen.  “He sounded rather genuine, too.”

“Excellent.  It seems he’s learning.”

“I suppose he is.”

“As much as I hate to interrupt,” Adakias spoke up, glancing between the low platform used to address the crowd and his mother, “it looks like the tournament is beginning.”

A stout young woman in herald’s dress strode out onto the platform, back ramrod straight and chin held high.  “Silence for the king!” she bellowed, her powerful voice echoing around the amphitheatre.  The crowd fell into the closest thing to silence an audience of such size could achieve.  “Presenting his majesty our king, Evyr the Just, son of Toba, third of his name.”

In the wake of her words, the king strode out onto the platform to thunderous applause.  Adakias, ever glad of his status as the second son and thus no one of import, raised a hand to wave to his father.  The king nodded in acknowledgement, and Adakias grinned.

“My people!  This is a momentous day!”  The crowd cheered, Adakias included, and he glanced to Anhura to find the princess smiling politely, nothing more.  He wondered if she disliked the circus of politics, the coldness it demanded of her, as much as Pallis did.

“Today is our tournament day, yes, but we also have a guest among us.  Princess Anhura of the Light, soon to wed our own Prince Pallis, is bearing witness to this great event.  The land of the Light has formed an alliance with us; a truce to benefit us both, and in return for their generosity, we will be gifting them a force of our best warriors.  This is your chance, good citizens of the Dark, to show our new allies how our strength can benefit us both.  Today, we will do our ancestors proud!”

The king’s voice lilted upward just enough to queue the crowd into cheers, and enthusiasm rippled through the stands.  Adakias couldn’t stop himself from glancing at Anhura as the audience began to stomp their feet against the stone, wondering just how she was taking all this.  Despite his protests, he was very aware that she wasn’t comfortable with the violence inherent in a tournament such as this.  And perhaps the energy coursing through the crowd would be enough to trigger her fears.  But the princess sat with a straight back and interested eyes directed forward, just enough of her usual sharpness buried beneath her most harmless personality.  She didn’t appear to be bothered in the slightest.

“Presenting our crown prince, the Duke of--” was all the herald managed before the crowd erupted into screams.  Pallis stood tall beside his father, and what a sight the pair of them made.  Two lean, serious figures standing abreast, so alike in demeanor yet with every difference in detail.  The vivid blue of the king’s eyes shone out at the audience, even from a distance, and the coldness in Pallis’ expression would have held a threat, had his flat demeanor not declared that no one was worth his time.  The crown prince of the Dark looked the perfect fighter.  Adakias waved to him too.  When he didn’t receive a response, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

“…joining us soon,” the queen was telling Anhura.  “Then unarmed combat, just to get the crowd excited, followed by the smithing challenge, then the lighter-hearted events like the knife-throwing, and ending with the old-style longsword duels.  The duels are what tends to generate the most interest.  Pallis and Ro have been fighting for a definitive win for years.”

“Who do you suppose will win this time?”

“I’m really not sure.  It’s been a few years since Pallis’ last victory, so it should be about time for him, but Ro has been training like a woman possessed to maintain her title.  At the very least, the fight is sure to be fascinating.”

“Surely,” Anhura echoed, and Adakias could read the discomfort in her voice as easily as if she’d stated it out loud.  

“Neither of them is likely to be hurt,” Adakias cut in, trying his best not to sound condescending.  “Not until they face each other, and then there should be no more than minor injuries.”

“Thank you, my lord Adakias,” Anhura commented, so obviously disapproving of the reassurance.  “I’m well aware of that fact.”

Adakias considered pushing a little further, but the sharpness of Anhura’s words warned him off.  She’d sounded like she did weeks ago, back when he couldn’t manage to say anything right.  He’d give anything not to return to those times.

“My apologies.”

“Anhura,” Adakias’ mother put in, and he jumped.  “You don’t have to watch the tournament if you’re not comfortable.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m perfectly content here,” Anhura replied, calm as anything.  And she proceeded to look just that as warriors of wildly varying skill levels tried their hand at wrestling each other out of a ring marked out at the centre of the amphitheatre.  Adakias couldn’t help glancing her way each time a combatant collided with the dirt-covered ground, even knowing he shouldn’t.  And even he winced in sympathy for whoever was currently being unsuccessful in combat, Anhura was sitting with a studiously serene expression.  It would be admirable if it wasn’t so sad, Adakias decided.

“Well, it appears that I haven’t been missed,” the king’s voice came from behind them, and Adakias watched his mother’s eyes brighten instantly.

“Not in the slightest,” the queen remarked, twisting in her seat to grin at her husband.

Adakias’ father looked just as happy as his mother as he took a seat beside her.  Anhura glanced Adakias’ direction for the first time since the tournament had begun in earnest.  In her eyes was the instantly recognizable amusement of someone watching their parents flaunt their relationship.  Adakias rolled his eyes fondly.

“Enjoying the tournament?” the king asked when he’d finished being, in Adakias’ opinion, sickeningly sweet with his wife.

“It’s fascinating, sire,” Anhura commented when Adakias held his tongue.  “Though my understanding of combat is limited, the methods used here are far different from what I’ve seen in the Light.”  The sound of someone being slammed into the ground, an easy defeat, echoed up to them and Anhura didn’t even twitch.  “And the way the Dark has embraced fighting as a part of the culture is particularly interesting.”

“I’m glad you think so.  You’re quite right to say that that combat has been well-integrated into our culture.  Even for me, and I’ve never been a warrior, fighting is an ancient kind of freedom.”  Here, his father hesitated.  “Though-- I’m not exactly the one to speak to about the glories of combat.”

“An excellent explanation, my dear,” the queen chimed in.  “Though I must agree. You’ve always had a better way with words.”

Adakias’ parents turned fond looks on each other, both of them falling silent for a moment.  Adakias groaned audibly, earning glares from everyone else in the royal box.

“ _Anyways_ ,” the queen stressed.  “The tournament does much more than demonstrate how fit our people are for battle.  It stands as an opportunity to demonstrate one’s skill in more than one field.  Take the smithing challenge, for example.  See the woman, third in that line over there?  She just placed second in the unarmed combat, yet here she stands, her armour so flimsy.  I mean her no disrespect, but this is an arena in which she still has much to learn.  Being forced to forge her own armour and weapons forces her to take accountability for her success as a warrior, without utilizing another’s skill thoughtlessly.  It is just fighting, if you want to look at it that way, but it is also so much more.”

“It would be too much to say I understand,” Anhura said slowly, “but I believe I am beginning to.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Adakias’ mother said, looking incredibly pleased with herself.  “Now, look.  It’s time to see our victor learn just what flaws her armour has.”

From then on, Anhura watched the tournament with renewed interest, still a little uncomfortable whenever a blow landed, but the tension flooded out of her the moment she saw that the combatants were unharmed.  The knife throwing competition had a faint smile crossing her face when Ro walked out to act as a judge.  It seemed that the tournament would be a success, at least with respect to Anhura’s mood.

And then the herald announced the longsword duels and Adakias very abruptly realized that things were about to go downhill just before it happened.  Because Pallis came marching out with the screams of the crowd ringing about him, eyes dark and intent, and Adakias knew with total certainty that Anhura wasn’t going to like this side of her betrothed.  And sure enough, the princess’s demeanour would be called afraid by anyone who didn’t know her, shoulders pulled tight and lips pursed.  Adakias sighed and returned his attention to the focal point of the entire audience.

Unhelpfully, Pallis decided upon that moment to draw his sword, brandishing it overhead with the peculiar overzealousness of a motion practiced far too many times.  The unusual part of this image, however, was the fluttering ribbon of fabric tied around the blade, golden and glittering and a perfect match to Anhura’s dress.  It was a token, Adakias realized far too slowly, because this was so much more than a tournament— it was a declaration.

Adakias was too busy mired in his own dread to remember to cheer when Ro walked out to stand opposite Pallis, a wondrous warrior in her own right.  The pair stood still a moment, allowing the audience to cheer as much as they wanted, then moved to the side-table to present their arms and have their armour looked over by a judge.  It was a tired practice, left over from the days before Pallis and Ro’s final duel became more of a spectacle than a real fight between enemy warriors.  But it would take its due time proceeding, and Adakias seized his chance before it could slip away.

“Just a second,” Adakias mumbled to his mother, doing his best to remain unobtrusive as he shifted over to the seat beside Anhura, left vacant for Pallis.  “Hey,” he said, trying his hardest to sound casual.  “How’re you doing?”

“Spectacularly,” Anhura drawled, and the sheer quantity of sarcasm saturating her voice would be amusing if not for how out of character it was.  “I can’t wait to see my betrothed and my dear friend likely do each other physical harm.”

“You know it’s sport, right?”

Anhura raised a skeptical eyebrow and Adakias couldn’t help smiling.  “So far, I’ve seen seven bloody noses, four cracked ribs, a handful of sprained joints, and one unlucky soul who broke a finger.  And while I haven’t been so lucky to witness Pallis in combat, I assume he’ll put up just as much of a fight as I’ve seen from Ro’s practice.  Neither of them will leave this unscathed.”

“True,” Adakias admitted, desperately buying time until he could think of something more comforting to offer her.  “But they’ve been doing this for years as a spectacle of sorts, and neither of them have ever sustained permanent injury.”

“We’ll see,” Anhura offered in return, then turned her eyes forward and didn’t seem overly interested in continuing the conversation.  Adakias understood.  Seeing his brother and dear friend fight never felt particularly good.

“Are you ready for the moment we’ve all been waiting for?”  The crowd bellowed its response and the announcer at the front looked pleased with herself.  “Prince Pallis and Lady Letiro will duel for the title of the greatest warrior of the Dark!”

In response, both Ro and Pallis adopted more formal demeanors, facing each other with the barely restrained power that told everyone watching what was about to happen.  From the corner of his eye, Adakias noticed Anhura lean forward slightly, eyes narrowed.  The crowd was flawlessly silent, anticipation thickening the air in the amphitheatre.  In the emptiness, Ro grinned.  It was a horrid, toothy thing that spoke of absolute confidence in her victory.  And Pallis was as blank-faced as ever, her perfect opposite standing the traditional ten paces away with his hand hovering near his scabbard.  The spectacle of it all had always been lost on Adakias’ brother.

“And… fight!”

Pallis rushed forward like a runner off his mark, sword leaping into his hand in a shining arc through the air, trailing the ribbon as it went.  His blade collided with Ro’s with a metallic clang, driving her back a pace with the force of it.  A gasp rose from the audience, and a hand landed on Adakias’ arm, making him jump.  He glanced over to see Anhura, seemingly unknowing, clinging to him tightly as her eyes remained fixed on the fight.  Then the distinctive scrape of painstakingly sharpened metal against metal drew his attention forward, and the sensation of Anhura’s hand on his arm, gripping tighter than any propriety would allow, faded to the back of his mind.

Before the crowd, Pallis and Ro has disengaged from their bind and were circling each other cautiously.  This was Adakias’ favourite part; the moment of suspense just before an attack when the warriors were calculating their angles and odds.  Tournament combat, at least the way Ro and Pallis did it, was far removed from war.  With the urgency of a battle removed, precision was everything.  And with these two, who’d trained together since childhood and knew each other’s strategies like their own?  The finale to the tournament was easily the most captivating event.

 Ro broke the stand-off first and darted forward, sword carving through the air to crash against Pallis’ cross-bar, giving him the perfect opportunity to lean into the bind and use his weight to lock the swords together.  But before her momentum could be arrested entirely, Ro slipped past Pallis, twirling her sword in a graceful arc, and shoved him a few paces away, following him as he stepped back and pressing her advantage.  As Ro charged in, Pallis dropped the tip of his blade to level it on her midsection, a move even Adakias knew was laughably easy to thwart.  But when Ro flicked Pallis’ sword aside, he twisted to better evade her own assault and aimed a close-range kick at her leg.  Her leg buckled for a moment, and Pallis rushed forward, seemingly oblivious of the glare she turned on him.  He sliced at her throat, a blow that she blocked long before it could get close to reaching her well-armoured neck, but Adakias could sense the irritation in Ro’s demeanor.  Pallis wasn’t playing by the rules.

“What’s wrong?” Anhura whispered, squeezing Adakias’ arm lightly, and he watched the fight for a few seconds longer before attempting an answer.

“That was a low blow.  If I didn’t--” The crowd _ooh_ ’d as Ro managed a shallow slice to Pallis’ chin, first blood.  “If I didn’t know him so well… he’s playing dirty.”

“Will she get hurt?”  Adakias knew that Anhura had seen just what Ro was capable of, and the urgency in her tone frightened him all the more for it.

“She’s his oldest friend, she’ll be fine,” Adakias said, but his voice sounded thin and false even to him.  He didn’t watch to watch his brother or his friend get hurt, and Anhura was absolutely right that this seemed wrong.  And there was nothing either of them could do to intervene if this went south.

And go south it did, because Ro seemed to be fighting more aggressively too, and wasn’t holding back as she grappled with Pallis, smashing the pommel of her sword into Pallis sword hand.  He snarled, pain and anger easily telegraphed to the crowd, then threw a punch with his free hand.  Off-balance as he was, he still managed to connect with Ro’s jaw, and her head snapped back with the force of it.

Anhura made some involuntary little sound of distress, and Adakias dared to tear his eyes from the fight for long enough to lay a hand over hers.  She didn’t react, nor did she pull away.

Now Ro’s teeth were bloody when she bared them at her opponent in a wild grin, and there was a frightening ease to her demeanor, like this was what she’d been waiting for.  She twirled her sword gracefully, sinking into a deeper stance and readying for the next exchange.  Pallis adjusted his grip and continued looking totally blank-faced, which Adakias knew was far more concerning than it seemed.  Sparring with Ro was the one time Pallis let the world see his real emotions, the excitement of the fight, the contentment of training with his dear friend.  This was out of the ordinary in a way that worried Adakias.

Charging forward with an air of finality, Pallis side-stepped a slanted blow angled at his ribs and cut at Ro’s side, still taking the brunt of the strike but managing to pierce through her armour and reach skin, if her wince was any indication.  Ro retaliated, moving far more quickly than she had before, yet Pallis still dodged, managing another slice that nicked her shoulder.  Growling something inaudible, Ro leapt forward and kicked out, hitting Pallis squarely in the gut.  He doubled over and went down without a sound, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

And still Pallis lay there, motionless, hands pressed to his gut.  Something was wrong, Pallis was stronger than this, Adakias desperately tried to recall what injuries Pallis had accrued during the fight, there hadn’t been anything so serious as this--

Ro stepped tentatively closer to where Pallis lay, crouching to set her sword in the dirt before reaching out to the prince’s wrist, visibly feeling for a pulse.  The excitement in the crowd faltered as Pallis remained unresponsive, and Anhura startled the royal box by getting to her feet.

“He must be seen by a doctor,” Anhura commanded, and Adakias was halfway out of his seat before his mother spoke up.

“Wait.”  And the sheer authority in the queen’s voice was enough to stall him in his place.  “I know my son, and he doesn’t need a doctor.”

“He could be seriously hurt,” Anhura protested, a helpless frustration lighting her eyes as she fought back.  “Time is of the essence if he’s unresponsive now, he could have internal bleeding, a punctured lung--”

“Wait,” the queen repeated, and this time she’d softened slightly, turning an understanding eye on Anhura, though she didn’t sound particularly pleased.  “And watch.”

With a sigh that shook slightly, Anhura looked to the field, and the rest of the box followed her lead.  Ro had a hand on Pallis’ cheek and was studying his face with the calm of someone who had done this many times before.  And just behind Ro’s back-- movement.  Adakias stood slowly, ignoring his mother’s tacit disapproval, and leaned forward to get a better look.  Pallis’ hand was rising, a quiet motion meant to avoid detection.  Then, with a startled cry, Ro was yanked sideways and Pallis was rolling upward into a kneeling position, dagger in his hand, the blade pressed to Ro’s throat.

The crowd roared, half in approval and half in startled offense.  This wasn’t what they were used to seeing from their best and brightest warriors.  This sort of underhanded combat was out of character, they seemed to be thinking.  They roared all the same.

Pallis’ lips were moving.  That was all Adakias could notice in the frozen tableau of his brother holding Ro’s life in his hands.  The two of them were speaking softly to each other, desperation plainly outlined in the threat Pallis had embodied.  Adakias couldn’t hear a single word, yet he was fairly certain he knew what his brother was asking for.

“I yield,” Ro cried to the crowd, and the cheering recommenced with a vengeance.  “I will yield.”

The herald bellowed something entirely inaudible over the deafening wave of sound, and Adakias watched Pallis wince at the noise before sitting back on his heels, shoving his dagger back into its scabbard with utter exhaustion dripping from every limb.  He was panting visibly, a lazy stream of blood winding its way down his cheek from a gash on his temple, leaving red smears haphazardly strewn across his face.  Once he managed to get a leg under him, he reached out a hand to Ro, which she took without hesitation.  Pallis pulled Ro to her feet, looking increasingly uncomfortable.  She said something Adakias couldn’t quite make out, gesturing vaguely to Pallis’ midsection, and he almost smiled before detaching himself from her and stepping toward the royal box.

“Our champion, this eighty-second tournament; the crown prince Pallis!”

This time, the herald’s voice rang up to the box where Adakias sat, and the king and queen stood.  Spine drawing straight, Pallis shrugged into the manner of a soldier like a well-worn coat before lifting his chin to face his family.

Adakias looked up at Anhura, standing beside him, and he could read the stress that surged into her the moment Pallis looked her way.  He could sense the precursor to fear creeping at the edges of her usually unyielding calm.  Slowly, she sat.

“Present your arms,” the herald commanded with the confidence of a woman following years of scripted tradition.

And Pallis drew his red-tinted, muddied sword from his hip, lifting it high.  Anhura was close enough that Adakias noticed her flinch.  The king spoke grandly about all that Pallis’ victory represented, neatly avoiding the topic of what might have been foul play.  All the while, Pallis’ longsword hung idly from his hand, the red-speckled ribbon fluttering from the blade.  Adakias couldn’t tell whose blood it was.  He suspected that it didn’t matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VIOLENCE WARNING: Ro and Pallis duel as part of the tournament and their fight turns ugly when Pallis becomes desperate to win. The fight begins with longswords, but devolves to punches, kicks, and grappling. While both sustain minor injuries, it's fairly clear that they don't truly wish to do each other harm.
> 
> I really wanted to write Pallis and Ro in combat especially since I mentioned that they duel in Sinners, and then I got caught up in the concept. It turns out that writing combat is freaking difficult, and I actually had to do extensive research to figure it out, which kind of sucked, but at least I know random longsword terminology now (credit to The Modern Rogue on youtube). And Pallis’ character is intrinsically linked with violence in Razia’s Shadow, so I couldn’t really get around it here. I feel like it’s pretty important to establish him not only as a figure with a reputation for danger, but also a skillset to back it up. There’s definitely going to be fallout from this in the future, and that’s gonna be fun to deal with. I also wanted him to use a dagger again, since I’ve kind of gotten attached to the concept. Overall, this was an absolute nightmare to write but I’m pretty happy with it now.


End file.
